Dr John Whyte - Medika Life

Empathy and Health Excellence — The Superpower of Care Delivery

Gil Bashe, Medika Life Editor — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 12:55:40 +0000

In today’s data-driven world of medicine, we often equate better care with better technology and better outcomes with advanced diagnostics. And yet, one truth remains: the most powerful force in healing is not found in a test result but in the presence of another human being who truly sees you.

When skilled medical care is guided by empathy, it becomes something greater. It rises beyond competency. It becomes a connection. It becomes care.

We celebrate survival and measurable outcomes — and we should, however, carry with us what people carry with them long after the diagnosis, such as what was done and how we were treated in the process. It is when a physician takes the time to explain the next steps clearly. It’s the kind gesture from a nurse, the smile behind the mask, the call that came just to check-in. These human elements are not extras. Communication is always part of care.

The most enduring part of the health journey is whether people survive and how they are treated while they try.

People Always, Sometimes Patients

People navigating illness rarely rave about systems. They remember moments — how a physician sat and listened, the hand on the shoulder, the honest, unhurried explanation. They speak of kindness, clarity, and dignity. Empathy is not an accessory to care — it is the essence of care. The data backs that up.

A Medscape report confirmed that patients with chronic pain experienced significant improvement when treated by physicians who exhibited empathy. In Patient Education and Counseling studies, empathy led to better communication, treatment adherence, and clinical outcomes. Harvard Medical School research shows that when patients feel heard and understood, they’re more likely to engage in their care and experience improved results. This is more than perception — it’s physiology. Stress levels drop, trust increases, and healing accelerates.

Empathy isn’t a “soft skill.” It’s a clinical tool that improves outcomes and humanizes healthcare. In How Doctors Think, Jerome Groopman, MD, reminds us that data does not replace presence: “Statistics cannot substitute for the human being before you; statistics embody averages, not individuals.” Every patient has a backstory — a unique path to the clinic door — and when physicians listen, they gain context and insight.

In 1993, the late Arnold P. Gold, MD of Columbia University, reimagined the start of a medical student’s journey by introducing the “White Coat Ceremony” — a symbol of professionalism and compassion in care. His vision was simple but profound: remind future physicians from day one that medicine is about people, not just pathology.

The ceremony expanded to nursing and other health professions under the leadership of Richard I. Levin, MD, Professor Emeritus of Medicine, Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Health and former President and CEO of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation. “We mourn for him,” Dr. Levin said of Dr. Gold, “but as we celebrate his unique life, we can all carry his legacy forward in love.” The White Coat Ceremony, born from one physician’s belief in the power of human connection, can be a learning experience shaping the heart of health professionals.

The Clinicians Who Lead with Heart

This approach is not hypothetical. It’s exemplified by physicians whose names are synonymous with excellence and empathy. These are outstanding physicians I have encountered through the years. They and their office or department teams collectively demonstrate that knowledge and empathic caring create memorable medical experiences.

Empathy is not just a soft skill in healing — it’s a clinical art. It allows a physician to step into the world of their patient and grasp their experience emotionally, intellectually, and behaviorally. However, empathy goes further: it means communicating that understanding, validating the patient’s concerns, and transforming the exchange into therapeutic action. Empathy becomes the bridge between the healer and those seeking to be healed — where listening becomes treatment, and understanding becomes care.

This fusion of clinical excellence and genuine empathy distinguishes exceptional physicians in healthcare delivery. These physicians prove that it is possible to be both an outstanding clinical physician with a heart and conscience:

A distinguished urologist in New Jersey, Joseph V. DiTrolio, MD, who only recently announced his retirement from clinical practice, seamlessly integrated innovative techniques with a patient-first philosophy for years. His approachable demeanor — insisting patients call him “Joe” — fosters a comforting environment where individuals feel genuinely valued. Beyond his clinical practice, Dr. DiTrolio has contributed significantly to urology through product development and holds several patents. His commitment to education is evident in his Clinical Professor of Surgery role at New Jersey Medical School.

Serving as President of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital, Valentin Fuster, MD, embodies the integration of empathy and leadership. His holistic approach to cardiovascular health — encompassing research, patient care, public health policy and education — has made a global impact. Dr. Fuster’s development of a cardiovascular “polypill” reflects his dedication to accessible patient care, reducing cardiovascular mortality by 33 percent among heart attack survivors. His contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the World Heart Federation Lifetime Achievement Award. He makes himself 100 percent available, whether focusing on a patient in the ER awaiting treatment, rebuilding Haiti’s health system, focusing on the needs of communities in Spain, or leading a global professional association. His heart is in everything he engages.

As Chair of Radiation Oncology at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Alison Grann, MD, exemplifies the harmonious blend of clinical precision and emotional intelligence. Recognizing the emotional weight of specific diagnoses, she ensures that every patient interaction — from reception to treatment — is infused with warmth and respect. Her leadership fosters an environment where patients feel seen and heard, reinforcing their trust in their care. Dr. Grann’s commitment extends beyond patient care; she actively engages in research and holds a Clinical Assistant Professorship at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

At Weill Cornell Medicine, Allyson J. Ocean, MD, stands out as a leading gastrointestinal oncologist and patient advocate. Her compassionate approach clarifies the uncertainties of oncology, deeply resonating with patients. As a co-founder of “Let’s Win Pancreatic Cancer,” she heeded the counsel of a communication leader – one of her patients – the late Anne Glauber – and turned the pancreatic cancer journey into a broader mission to extend others’ lives. Dr. Ocean’s dedication to patient-centered care is further demonstrated through her roles at The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health and her active involvement in clinical research and education.

At NYU Langone, Lawrence (Larry) Phillips, MD, delivers exceptional cardiovascular care rooted in empathy and connection. In a specialty where urgency often overtakes interaction, he slows the pace — making listening his first intervention. Patients consistently highlight how seen and heard they feel, a testament to his people-first approach. Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease, Dr. Phillips also serves at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and is a passionate advocate with the American Heart Association, leading grassroots efforts to expand CPR training and community heart health education.

Photo Credit: Author (left) with (right) Dr. Lawrence Phillips, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Medical Director, Outpatient Clinical Cardiology, NYU Langone Health

As Chief Medical Officer of WebMD, John Whyte, MD, MPH, bridges the worlds of clinical practice, public health, and consumer education — delivering trusted health information with empathy and clarity. He sees patients weekly, grounding his clinical leadership in real-world care. Dr. Whyte’s books, including Take Control of Your Cancer Risk and Is This Normal?, reflect his commitment to guiding people through their health journeys with candor and compassion. A former leader at the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, he brings a public health lens to his work, ensuring each message empowers and every patient feels seen.

These physicians exemplify how empathy and medical expertise transform patient care and cement community admiration. They do more than heal — they restore faith in the system and dignity to the patient’s journey.

Stop Calling Us Beneficiaries — We’re Paying Customers

Empathy must extend beyond the individual clinician and become a defining trait of our health system, from how we write policies to how we answer phones.

Too often, people in need of care face frustration instead of compassion. Insurance denials, confusing bills, impersonal communications — these compound the stress of illness. But forward-thinking organizations are challenging that norm.

In the health industry, we often claim that the patient is at the center of care and that naïve Band-Aid should be ripped off. The murder of Brian Thompson is a tragic and terrifying wake-up call to the US health insurance industry. However, the headlines have receded into the background, and with the passing news cycle, so has the urgency to evolve the care coverage system.

The public reaction to Thompson’s death gives us an essential opportunity to recognize that we have lost the trust of many of the people the sector seeks to serve. The trauma of this terrible moment can be addressed in one of two ways — avoidance or engagement. This event must catalyze health companies to reassess their approach to patient care and public trust.

Profitability and service to the patient aren’t two separate outcomes. Investing in interventional care and providing that care are also inextricably intertwined. The industry should consider several key recommendations. Some companies do what is needed to treat “beneficiaries” and “members” more like paying and valued customers.

MetLife and Guardian Life have partnered with Empathy, a platform designed to support beneficiaries through bereavement. These companies understand that losing a loved one is not just a claims process; it’s a human-customer-like — experience. They’ve committed to making that moment one of guidance, not bureaucracy.

Operationally, insurance teams must rethink how they respond to prior authorization requests. What if instead of a hard “No,” a representative said, “Let’s see what we can do together”? That’s not just good service. It lowers people’s tension and is good medicine. When insurance becomes a partner, not a process, people feel seen — not shuffled.

In the broader system, patient navigation — first championed by a physician who became an authority on race, poverty, and cancer — Harold Freeman, MD — shows that outcomes improve when people have support navigating the maze of care. Especially in underserved communities, navigators ensure that empathy is not dependent on privilege. It becomes a universal right.

Designing for Dignity

Empathy isn’t just something we express; it’s something we can design. We can build it into:

The architecture of clinics that create calm, not chaos
The approach we take in helping patients complete registration
The way we train AI and LLMs to converse with respect
The tone of insurance letters that minimize legalese and empathize with care
The workflows that give nurses and doctors more time to connect

We must think of empathy not as reactive but as proactive. It must be embedded in systems, supported by policy, and measured by efficiency and experience. Empathy differentiates between treating a condition, focusing on a body part, and healing a person.

The System’s Soul

At its best, medicine is more than what we do — it is about how we do it. Empathy does not appear on a chart and is not coded into billing. But its absence is always felt, and its presence potentially transforms the entire care experience.

Empathy binds us back to our purpose, whether we are physicians in a clinic, nurses in an ICU, call center agents helping a customer navigate issues with a denied claim, or patient navigators walking with someone through a new diagnosis.

As we move into the future of AI, automation, digital health, and remote care, our most vital technology remains human connection. Our most critical clinical protocol is compassion.

Empathy is not a soft idea. It is medicine’s soul in action.

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Digital Health Revitalized Returns to the Industry and Investment Sectors’ Priority Dashboard – Updated with Video Exclusive

Gil Bashe, Medika Life Editor — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 01:16:33 +0000

You’re wrong if you thought the digital health sector was assigned to the critical care ward! The first half of 2024 reinforces that the industry is maturing and demonstrating its essential role to payer, provider, and product innovator’s patient-care effectiveness and operational efficiency.

Here is an exclusive conversation on the H1 2024 Galen Growth Report soon to air on Healthcare NOW Radio.

With an impressive $12.4 billion invested across 719 deals, this period defied expectations of a prolonged funding winter and showcased remarkable growth. These deals span a wide range of digital health subsectors, from AI and LLMs to health information management and connected medical diagnostics. The industry saw a significant surge in momentum in Q2 2024, outperforming Q1 with $7.1 billion in funding compared to $5.3 billion.

Key areas such as AI, LLMs, health information management, connected medical diagnostics, and research solutions (i.e., TechBio) have emerged as focal points for VC and corporate incubators, accelerators, and equity funds, so critical to providing the financial and strategic support necessary to jump-start early-stage companies. A steady stream of M&A activity and strategic partnerships indicate ongoing global digital health market consolidation.

Galen Growth has been tracking every detail and deal and analyzing the digital health sector’s ups and downs, and it has now returned to the forefront of the C-Suite. To arrive at its analyses, Galen Growth tracks some 500 million data points across 30,000 sector players. Medika Life was able to preview some of the data to provide these highlights. Our assumption all along is that the spike in COVID-era investment was pure enthusiasm absent due diligence and that the category would rebound. This report confirms that hypothesis.

Medika Life readers can access the H1 2024 report here:

https://www.healthtechalpha.com/research/h1-2024-digital-health-global-key-trends-report

H1 2024 Growth

The $ 12.4 billion investment in the first half (H1) of 2024 is a significant milestone, marking a 5% increase compared to last year’s H1 2023. This robust performance challenges the narrative of a funding winter, showcasing sustained investor confidence. Q2 outpaced Q1 significantly, with a 34% increase in funding, indicating growing momentum.

“Anyone who thought digital health growth is stagnant was proven wrong by this recent finding data. Investors find the value in these innovations – the challenge that remains is about the culture of the health sector – the role of the health care community in embracing these technologies,” reflects WebMD Chief Medical Officer John Whyte, MD, MPH, who has been a national voice on the potential of smart medical devices to improve people’s care.

More than 1,600 investors participated in H1 2024, with 50 making more than three investments, up from 47 in the previous year. This suggests a renewed confidence and a growing core of committed digital health investors. Key indicators such as the high number of mega deals and the significant proportion of funding directed towards AI-enabled companies underscore this trend.

Key Trends and Insights

Generative AI and AI- and LLM-enabled companies continue to gain investor attention, particularly in health information management. Despite comprising only 40% of the venture ecosystem, AI-enabled companies received 56% of the venture capital in the sector. This trend highlights the critical role of AI in driving innovation and attracting significant investment in healthcare.

“I believe that AI and large language models represent a new and unique level of revitalization for digital health. The utility and functionality of many digital health devices can be transformed through artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs). It’s this fundamental transformation that breathes life into what was a lackluster and ‘gadget-based’ initiative,” offers John Nosta, a global innovation thought leader who speaks to the “Age of Cognition” and how it impacts the future of medical care and technology.

The US and North American countries led digital health funding, while Europe remained the second-most funded region. Future reports will provide deeper insights into these trends with a detailed regional breakdown and analysis.

Mega-Deal Investments

Mega deals were crucial in the Digital health funding landscape during H1 2024. The period saw 26 mega deals (deal value ≥ $100 million) totaling $4.9 billion, accounting for 39% of the overall funding. This represents a 9% increase from H1 2023, which recorded 24 mega deals amounting to $4.5 billion. The average mega deal size reached its highest since 2019, at $191 million.

“The significant increase in mega deals and the robust M&A activity in H1 2024 highlight a maturing ecosystem rapidly consolidating and strategically repositioning itself,” said Galen Growth Founder and CEO Julien de Salsberry to Medika Life. “These insights are crucial for stakeholders to understand the evolving dynamics of the market and to make informed decisions that will drive future growth and innovation in the Digital health space.”

Notable Mega Deals:

Xaira Therapeutics – $1,000 million (ARCH Venture Partners, Foresite Labs)
Formation Bio – $375 million (Andreessen Horowitz)
Freenome – $254 million (Roche)
PharmEasy – $216 million (MEMG)
Blackrock Neurotech – $214.3 million (Tether)

The geographical distribution of these mega deals highlights continued US dominance in attracting substantial investments. Of the 26 mega deals, 22 were secured by U.S.-founded companies, underscoring this nation’s engaged digital health ecosystem.

US Digital Health Funding by Investment Stage

The distribution of funding across various stages suggests a vibrant investment cadence supporting companies at different growth phases:

Early-stage deals: 132 deals (32% of all deals)
Series A: 88 deals
Series B: 65 deals
Series C: 42 deals
Series D & Beyond: 35 deals
Other Stages: 43 deals across various other stages.

Acquisitions and Sell-Offs

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the Digital health sector remained robust in H1 2024, with 96 deals completed, a slight increase of 2% from H1 2023. This steady pace of M&A transactions demonstrates the industry’s ongoing consolidation and strategic repositioning.

Noteworthy Transactions:
Altaris Capital Partners acquired and delisted Sharecare for $518 million.
Roche acquired the LumiraDx point-of-care technology platform for $295 million.
Click Therapeutics acquired assets from the bankrupt Better Therapeutics.
LabCorp acquired some assets from Invitae, a genetic testing company.

The elevated activity in M&As and asset acquisitions reflects the dynamic nature of the Digital health sector, with companies adapting to market conditions and consolidating resources.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The Digital health sector witnessed an almost unchanged collaborative environment during the first half of 2024, with 1,730 partnerships recorded, a slight 2% decrease from H1 2023. Healthcare providers emerged as the primary drivers of partnerships, forging 306 collaborations. This underscores the growing integration of digital solutions in traditional healthcare settings.

Newsworthy Collaborations:

Nvidia – Nine partnerships focusing on health AI applications.
Medical Diagnostics and Health Management Solutions – Key areas for venture-to-venture partnerships, indicating a trend towards leveraging complementary technologies and expertise.

Regional Funding Snapshots

United States: The U.S. maintained its dominant position, attracting $9.5 billion across 405 deals, up 14% year-over-year. The distribution of funding across various stages reveals a revived and focused ecosystem supporting companies along the growth cycle.

Europe: Despite a 10% decrease in funding to $1.52 billion across 158 deals, Europe remains the second most heavily funded region. The funding landscape showcases diverse investment stages, indicating a healthy and maturing ecosystem.

Asia Pacific: Asia Pacific attracted $1.17 billion across 118 deals, down 7% from H1 2023. Despite the decreased funding, the region remains strong in diagnostic technologies and patient-centric digital solutions.

Overview

The first half of 2024 has demonstrated the resilience and evolution of the digital health sector. With substantial investments and strategic collaborations driving innovation and growth, the $12.4 billion funding across 719 deals underscores renewed investor enthusiasm. The sector’s solid M&A landscape and increasing mega-deal activity convey a maturing ecosystem poised for continued integration into the mainstream health ecosystem.

As digital health ventures in the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific push the boundaries of health innovation, the groundwork laid during H1 2024 suggests a transformative future for the industry. Data from H1 2024 means that the digital health venture C-suite and investors can breathe a sigh of relief as valuations stabilize and deal flow continues.

This outlook calls for careful and informed decisions driven by proof points and facts, steering away from the speculative fervor of the COVID era. The reflections of Galen Growth’s Julien de Salsberry reinforce that digital health – an expansive innovation field – that warrants payers, providers, and product innovators full attention:

“The Digital health sector’s resilience and sustained growth, as evidenced by the $12.4 billion investment in H1 2024, is a testament to the unwavering confidence of investors in the transformative potential of digital health technologies. This data underscores innovation’s critical role in enhancing healthcare delivery and outcomes globally.”

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Heart Disease and Depression

John Whyte MD — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 20:13:19 +0000

Family history.

High blood pressure.

High cholesterol.

Excess weight.

These are the risk factors for heart disease that your doctor typically talks to you about. Yet, there is a risk factor that most doctors never discuss that can have as much impact as the ones I just listed — Depression.

Your mood plays a significant role in whether or not you get heart disease. Study after study shows that the biological changes involved with depression– increased cortisol, elevated adrenaline, and decreased serotonin – causes changes in how well your heart functions. It directly impacts how well your heart pumps as well as how much plaque develops in your arteries. Intense emotions and acute anxiety can literally change the shape of the heart. It’s a condition called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and often referred to as “broken heart syndrome.”

Why is no one talking about this?

Even though we have made progress in recent years around the mind-body connection, we often don’t implement it in clinical practice. We create silos with physical health managed by physicians trained in internal and family medicine and mental health largely managed by psychiatry. We need to be integrating and acknowledging there is no physical health without mental health, and there is no mental health without physical health. It doesn’t make sense to only address risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol and weight – and then have mood as some time of afterthought.

If you follow some of my writing, you know I’m a big fan of risk calculators. Perhaps it’s time to update those that help calculate risk of cardiovascular disease and add depression/anxiety in the calculation of the risk score. That might force folks to be more explicit and proactive about managing mood as part of a primary prevention program.

Like many other aspects of heart disease, we wait until someone has a heart attack to adequately address it. We talk about the need to reduce stress after patients experience chest pain – we should be talking about mood before they get to that point!

We have made amazing advances in the treatment of heart disease but sometime still dies of a heart attack every thirty- five seconds. Given the mental health challenges that many people have experienced during the past two years, I expect deaths from heart disease will increase unless we take proactive steps in reducing risk. Addressing depression and other mental health conditions must be an important part of plan.

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The Medika Life Top 30 Voices Transforming Wellness for 2022/23

Medika Life — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 11:29:47 +0000

Wellness encompasses body and spirit – experience and lifestyle – and the benefits of investing in self-care are well documented. Yet much of the global health economy focuses on sick care in the guise of health care. While wellness is desired – the possibility of health and what it contributes to – happiness and prosperity – much of our resources and intellectual talents are still directed to managing sickness.

The most notable health discoveries center around therapies and technologies that enable the health system to better address rare diseases, non-communicable diseases, chronic conditions and public health urgencies that demand attention. Yet, many – not all – of these conditions and situations might be prevented through preventive healthcare delivery and wellness strategies.

Longevity – healthy years – has long been a quest since Ponce De Leon searched out the healing waters that might magically maintain a youthful appearance. We are fascinated with the possibilities of longevity and the well-being of mind, body and spirit. Is this only a fantasy? Today’s research and science suggest otherwise. Like all great things; it takes work – personal investment in diet, exercise, mindfulness and preventive care. Why focus only on sick care. This is why Medika Life highlights 30 outstanding individuals whose efforts are transforming how we approach health and wellness.

Ambassadors of a Wellness Movement

All selected for the 2022/2023 Top 30 Influencers Transforming Health and Wellness roster have demonstrated commitment to improving people’s well-being and advancing the global wellness movement. This list recognizes and celebrates their achievements and encourages their journey! All of them originate and share bold ideas, engaging the diverse sphere of wellness in productive – sometimes controversial – conversation.

Those selected are pioneers and explorers who advance the sectors of beauty, diet, food, fitness, mental and medical health, relaxation and travel. Wellness isn’t only a “nice thing to do.” Done persistently, it has multiple levels of ROI. The Global Wellness Institute estimates that as we emerge from the pandemic, the wellness economy will reach nearly $7.0 trillion in 2025. Global Wellness Institute estimates that as we emerge from the pandemic, the wellness economy will reach almost $7.0 trillion in 2025. Wellness isn’t only a “nice thing to do.” Done persistently, it has multiple levels of ROI.

Photo Credit: Global Wellness Institute

Wellness is often debunked as too “touchy-feely” and lacking scientific substance. We counter by asking whether sickness is a wiser financial investment – letting the downslide of health take its course. According to the Global Wellness Institute, there is an estimated ROI of $4-$14 for every $1 in public health, prevention, managing non-communicable diseases, and health promotion. At a time when the United States dedicates almost 20 percent of its GDP toward “health,” it is questionable whether that is sustainable. We may need to invest more time, money and policy development in nutritional education, women’s health, overcoming mental health stigma and encouraging a better balance between work and downtime. These 30 Wellness Influencers have the courage and entrepreneurial savvy to raise their voices and open their bank accounts to keep people on track to living longer and healthier.

The Challenge to Select Only 30 Influencers

Wellness and our life choices are complex. America is not a frontrunner in the wellness field – but the interest is strong. There is a science to wellness; however, the byproduct of its efforts aren’t quick fixes. Technology has a place in the wellness movement, yet the simple pleasure of community and conversation are also healing. To arrive at 30 individuals of influence was a process that took months! Those selected are ambassadors for a movement that includes hundreds, thousands, and, we hope, millions of advocates. Medika Life is privileged to champion these pioneering voices.

Analytics and Research

To compile this roster, Medika Life used analytical tools to review data from varied sources – from search to these individuals’ social impact and reach. We examined their readiness and effectiveness in engaging others and supporting wellness through presentations, podcasts, webinars, written content, and willingness to share insights in public forum. We include names that appeared in previous Medika Life lists when nominees focused on wellness policy, communications and outreach. However, priority has been given to highlighting influencers who have not appeared on our previous lists.

We considered geography. We wanted to ensure that voices from around the globe are included. We looked to ensure diversity and equity. We focused on people with the courage to share their ideas through research, investment, art, music, and literature (backed by science) that inspire wellness, launched new companies and NGOs and advocated for beleaguered industries during the pandemic, such as the leisure and travel sectors.

Appreciation

As always, thanks to my friend and Medika Life Founding Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Robert Turner, for assisting me in preparing this roster of exceptional contributors to the wellness conversation. Also, appreciation to Medika Life authors and colleagues Cullen Burnell and Jordan Forbes for their support. Special thanks to the colleagues from professional circles who shared their thoughts and contributed their nominations, particularly those from the Global Wellness Summit community, which serves as a home to many wellness advocates.

Please also look at the Medika Life 2022 2021 Most Influential Voices in Healthcare and Women Transforming Healthcare lists. People who appear on those lists are incredible voices in health transformation. Many need no introduction, and others will be on your radar screen. All these individuals have an impact and are important to watch, follow, amplify and engage. Follow them all and chart their influence.

Gil Bashe, Editor-in-Chief, Medika Life

Top 30 Wellness Influencers Downloadable Banner

All influencers on the 2022/23 Top 30 Wellness Influencers list have a personalized banner that can be downloaded via the “clicking here” link below. We provide these individualized banners to acknowledge and thank them for their efforts toward improving patient experience and healthcare outcomes. Instructions on how to add the banner are shown on the page.

Influencers listed below can download their banners by clicking here. This is one example – there are 30 banners available – for each person – via the unique link.

Medika Life Top 30 Wellness Influencers – Sample Downloadable Banner – Each of the 30 Listed Have a Personalized Banner for Downloading for Social Media Shares on Twitter, LinkedIn and other platforms.

Top 30 Wellness Influencers

Here is our Medika Life roster of 30 people to follow – not ranked, presented in alphabetical order, all-important voices – to have on your radar screen for future years. Follow their content and voices – these are amazing advocates for patient care and health innovation:

Esther Ejiroghene Ajari, MBBS

Founder & Executive Director, TriHealthon Development Network in Nigeria

Esther Ejiroghene Ajari is the founder and head of TriHealthon, an award-winning non-governmental organization advancing health and wellness equity in Africa through research and community development projects. Dr. Ajari received the United Nations Development Programme King Hamad Youth Empowerment Award for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in 2020 and was named a COVID-19 Hero by the Nigerian Vice Presidency in 2021. Dr. Ajari studied medicine and surgery at the University of Ibadan and was a Dalai Lama fellow at the University of Virginia.

Belgin Aksoy

Creative Director, Richmond International; Founder Global Wellness Day

Wellness is a global movement, and Aksoy raised its banner by creating Global Wellness Day. In 2016, the Global Wellness Summit honored Aksoy and presented her with the “Leading Woman in Wellness” Award. That same year, Aksoy received the “Most Influential Spa Leader” Award from American Spa. Aksoy owns Richmond Nua Wellness-Spa, the award-winning wellness spa brand in Turkey. Her commitment to wellness and the community is well demonstrated.

Federica Alberti

Director, Wellness Foundation, Italy

Alberti is on a mission to spread the culture of wellness as a social opportunity and a compelling invitation for a healthier, sustainable world. Comfortable in entrepreneurial or corporate settings, she has been head of corporate affairs for a leading health company, European think tank, IBM and Deutsche Telekom.

Amir Alroy

Co-Founder, Welltech Ventures, Israel

Put your money where it matters! Alroy is a global investment pioneer and co-founder of Welltech Ventures and has stepped forward to help advance the global wellness movement. In 2022, he co-chaired the Global Wellness Summit in Tel Aviv, which once again drew a record worldwide crowd. After serving as founder, CEO, and chair of Cloud 9 Wellness Clubs, a pioneering professional personal training club, he took his success into technologies that span AI, mental health management, tracking movement, body structure, and more digital health advances that bring consumers closer to addressing their health needs.

Mary Bemis

Founder and Editorial Director, Insider’s Guide to Spas

Bemis is a pioneering journalist who began to cover the spa movement at its earlier moments and helped define a global industry sector. Wellness means many things to many people – for some it’s the break from the day-to-day and focus on the mind/body experience. The spa industry is significant. In 2020, the global spa market size was valued at USD 47.5 billion and is expected to reach USD 52.9 billion by 2028. Bemis is certain to keep tabs on its ups, downs and innovations. She is an initial inaugural honoree of Folio’s “Top Women in Media Award” and a champion of the healing potential of the spa environment.

Robin Berzin, MD

Founder of Parsley Health

Dr. Robin Berzin, a Columbia Medical School graduate and trained in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Tech Pioneer, named as one of the 100 most innovative women in business by Inc. Magazine, and praised by Fast Company for founding one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.

Dr. Berzin is the Founder and CEO of Parsley Health, a leading holistic medical practice designed to help people overcome chronic conditions. She founded Parsley to address the rising tide of chronic disease in America through personalized holistic medicine that puts food, lifestyle, and proactive diagnostic testing on the prescription pad next to medications. Since founding Parsley in 2016, Dr. Berzin reports seeing 80% of her patients improve within their first year of care. She is an author and champion of the value of making modern holistic medicine accessible.

Dan Buettner

Founder of Blue Zones

Image a place where people live into their 100s. Now imagine finding out that traditional medicine isn’t keeping these people alive longer – something is happening that makes each community a modern-day Shangri–La. Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer and New York Times bestselling author. Dan has discovered five places in the world – dubbed “Blue Zone Hotspots” – where people live the longest, healthiest lives. Dan now works in partnership with municipal governments, corporations and health payers to implement Blue Zone Projects, applying lessons from the communities he has studied.

Richard Carmona, MD

Chief Innovations Officer, Canyon Ranch and Former US Surgeon General

Solider, scientist and public health advocate, Richard Carmona, MD, was the 17th US Surgeon General, and author of a landmark study on the health effects of secondhand smoke. He is also a decorated US Army Special Forces veteran and a distinguished professor with a wide range of experience in health policy and management. Looking to the future of health and wellness, he is now chief of health innovations at Canyon Ranch. He serves as a director on several publicly traded corporate boards and private companies.

Lori Cashman, MBA

General Partner, Victress Capital

Lori Cashman, co-founder and General Partner of Victress Capital, is recognized as the firm’s visionary and master multi-tasker. In an investment world where “relevance is everything” and customers are looking to have expectations met, Cashman loves thinking about how a company’s differentiated value proposition can be leveraged to drive innovation. Cashman is an early stage investor and champion of gender diverse teams in the consumer space with a special focus on wellness. She has placed bets on companies such as Daily Harvest, Rae Wellness and Alyce. Cashman sits on the board of directors for Rae Wellness and Droplette and is a Board Observer for Standard Dose.

Nancy Davis

Chief Creative Officer and Executive Director, Global Wellness Summit

Nancy Davis is the extraordinary creative mind behind the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) and a champion for each of its community members. If the Summit has become a must-attend for people in the wellness field, Davis is among those who deserve the credit. She has decades of experience in strategic communications for Fortune 100 companies. Since teaming up with GWS Founder Susie Ellis in 2013, Davis has helped the organization expand its global footprint through activities, events and research that have elevated the importance of the GWS and Global Wellness Institute – and the voice of the wellness community. Details matter and Davis focuses on the significant issues and the little things that build a brand.

Ken Dychtwald, PhD

Founder and CEO, Age Wave

Since 1986, Dr. Dychtwald has been the Founder and CEO of Age Wave, an acclaimed think tank and consultancy focused on the social and business implications and opportunities of global aging and rising longevity. His client list has included more than half the Fortune 500. He has served as a fellow of the World Economic Forum and was a featured speaker at two White House Conferences on Aging. Dr. Dychtwald has emerged as North America’s foremost visionary and original thinker regarding the lifestyle, marketing, health care, economic and workforce implications of the age wave. He is a psychologist, gerontologist, and best-selling author of 19 books on aging-related issues. Before longevity was a popular topic, Dr. Dychtwald was in the vanguard of elevating its importance.

Susie Ellis, MBA

Chair & CEO, Global Wellness Summit and Global Wellness Institute

Before “wellness” and preventive care became buzzwords and a movement that academic, government and industry sectors would eagerly rally toward, the idea had a champion and global ambassador – Susie Ellis! Today, Ellis is chairman and CEO of the Global Wellness Institute, a leading non-profit research and educational resource for the worldwide wellness industry, and guides the Global Wellness Summit, an international organization representing business executives and leaders on the best practices in addressing health needs – spiritual, emotional and physical.

Ellis also hosts the annual Global Wellness Summit, which draws top-level thinkers and business leaders worldwide. She is recognized among the top authorities in the worldwide wellness industry; she is a prominent writer and speaker and is frequently quoted in news outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Ellis holds an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is the recipient of the International Spa Association “Visionary Award.”

Susan Fanning, MBA

Chief Health & Wellbeing Officer at Prudential Life Assurance Public
Company Ltd. (Thailand)

Originally from Ireland, Susan Fanning has 20 years of experience in commercial strategic leadership in Healthcare and Financial Services in Europe, Asia and Africa. She joined Prudential Thailand as Chief Health & Wellbeing Officer in August 2020 to drive its Pulse health proposition and build out the Enterprise-wide Health and Protection capabilities. Fanning is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and has an MBA from INSEAD.

Before joining Prudential Thailand, Susan led a startup company in the digital health ecosystem space and worked for Aon and BUPA. When she does find some downtime, it’s to dedicate her energies to helping others. During her two sabbaticals, Fanning focused on assisting NGOs to deliver better patient outcomes and elevate the understanding of business in helping people live lives where wellness was a priority.

Catherine Feliciano-Chon

Founder and Managing Director, CatchOn- A FINN Partners Company

When it comes to understanding the wellness sector in Asia, Cathy Chon is the go-to person. She is widely known and a sought-after speaker for her understanding of the Asian hospitality, travel, food, design and wellness industries. Based in Hong Kong and founder of CatchOn, Chon is a welcome presence in the global wellness sphere, often stepping onto the main stage to share data from breaking studies that guide sector investment in marketing communications. Her use of data to demonstrate the sector’s viability makes her a key voice on the economic importance and vitality of wellness as an industry worthy of attention.

Chon takes her commitment to wellness seriously, has co-chaired the Global Wellness Summit gathering in Singapore, and sits on the Summit advisory board. When wellness was a niche industry, Chon was at its forefront, and 30 years of experience in brand development have given her an edge in what is happening next.

Michael Hunter, MD

Radiology Oncologist and Author, Evergreen Medical Center

One word comes to mind when reflecting on Dr. Michael Hunter – exceptional! Dr. Michael Hunter moved from the East to West Coast to pursue his professional dreams as a sought-after radiology oncologist. He received degrees from Harvard, Yale University, and the University of Pennsylvania and is affiliated with Evergreen Health Medical Center – Kirkland, WA. Dr. Hunter is a prolific author who produces a wealth of written content on Medika Life and its sister digital platform on Medium called Being Well. A physician and educator, Dr. Hunter seeks to improve the health and well-being of people with whom he engages and follow his columns. He is a physician-ambassador for wellness! Dr. Hunter is committed to providing information through blogging, apps, books for laypersons, podcasts, and more.

Barbara Kolm, PhD

Director, Austrian Economics Center (BIO)

Dr. Kolm holds multiple positions of influence as vice president of the Austrian Central Bank, director of the Austrian Economics Center, and a professor of Austrian Economics at the University of Donja Montenegro. She also serves on the supervisory board of the Vienna Insurance Group and the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Dr. Kolm is Vice-Chair of the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Focus Group on Environmental Efficiency for Artificial Intelligence and other Emerging Technologies and Chair of the Thematic Group on the United for Smart Sustainable City Index. The health of people and the planet are interconnected, and Dr. Kolm uses her influence to advocate for both.

John Macomber

Senior Lecturer and Author, Harvard Business School

John Macomber is a Senior Lecturer in the Finance unit at Harvard Business School (HBS). He is the author of dozens of HBS case studies on infrastructure projects, focusing on office buildings in the United States, housing in India, water management in Mexico, and private sector–led new cities in Asia. At HBS, Macomber focuses on climate adaptation and the future of cities, aided by private-sector finance and the delivery of public infrastructure projects in developed and emerging worlds.

Macomber’s teaching combines infrastructure finance (e.g., public-private partnerships), investing in resilience (notably in the face of sea rise in some areas and drought in others), economic development, and the impact of new technologies in delivering new infrastructure and making old infrastructure efficient. His recent book – called a must-read for anyone engaged in wellness infrastructure, is Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity (Harvard University Press, 2020)

Ann Mond Johnson, MBA

CEO, American Telemedicine Association

Telehealth is the pathway to making wellness and health accessible and immediate. It holds the potential to engage consumers in their self-care. Ann Mond Johnson, CEO of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), is at the center of this conversation. ATA is a nonprofit association with more than 10,000 industry and health leaders. Johnson began her career applying healthcare data and information to improve people’s well-being and then moved on to champion Chicago as an inviting hub for health-tech firms. She understands the nexus of policy and performance – where voices of influence can ensure access to preventive care. Her leadership also extends to non-profit service organizations, including serving on several key boards, including Pathfinder International, a non-profit organization committed to country-led solutions to achieve universal sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Freddie Moross

Managing Director, myndstream

Freddie Moross is responsible for developing the market strategies for the United Kingdom and United States divisions of Cutting Edge Group, a leading music media company. Moross is focused on increasing awareness for the its wellness brand myndstream. Music has a special power and Moross is creating an inclusive wellness community that harnesses the power of music to improve mental well-being and the lives of children with learning and developmental disabilities. Moross takes special effort to apply his company’s possibilities by supporting health and educational professionals with tools for children’s mental wellness.

Dean Ornish, MD

Founder and President, Preventive Medicine Research Institute

Dr. Dean Ornish is the founder and president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif. He is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. For more than 32 years, Dr. Ornish has pursued research demonstrating that comprehensive lifestyle changes may reverse even severe heart disease, without drugs or surgery.

He is the author of six best-selling books, including New York Times bestsellers Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease; Eat More, Weigh Less; Love & Survival; and his most recent book, The Spectrum. Dr. Ornis received his medical training in internal medicine from the Baylor College of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Lygeia Ricciardi

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AdaRose

Lygeia Ricciardi is the founder of AdaRose, an online community that supports women in achieving better health and healthcare by leveraging human connections and digital tools. She is in the vanguard of patient and consumer engagement as an entrepreneur, consultant, and in the US Federal government, where she founded and led the Office of Consumer eHealth, from which she helped shape national policies and programs that give millions of Americans access to and use their health information digitally. She is an Advisor and former Chief Transformation Officer at Carium, a telehealth company that connects patients and providers within the fabric of daily life. Ricciardi is courageous and ready to take entrepreneurial risks to prove her point that consumers need to engage in self-care.

Rebecca Robbins, PhD

Sleep Scientist and Instructor, Harvard Medical School and Associate Scientist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Sleep is among nature’s most potent restorative therapies. Dr. Rebecca Robbins is a pioneer in sleep research as an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Scientist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Her research uses novel communication tools and technologies such as smartphones and other mobile devices to design persuasive behavior change interventions to improve sleep and circadian health. Her research has appeared in peer-reviewed publications such as JAMA Network Open, Plos ONE, Sleep Health, Prevention Science, Health Communication, Preventing Chronic Disease, and the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Dr. Robbins is the co-author of Sleep for Success!

Michael Roizen, MD

Physician and Founding Chair, Wellness Institute, Cleveland Clinic

Dr. Michael Roizen is the pioneer behind the “RealAge” concept to motivate behavior change. Dr, Roizen served as the Cleveland Clinic’s first Chief Wellness Officer from 2007 to 2019 and the founding Chair of its Wellness Institute. He is the recipient of an Emmy, Elle, and the Paul Rogers Best Communicator Award from the National Library of Medicine. He is also the recipient of The United Way of Cleveland Humanitarian of the Year Award. Perhaps his greatest achievement is his advocacy for making people recognize that getting older doesn’t mean people have to become ill. He is a champion for pursuing longevity with wellness. If you’re looking forward to your 100th birthday, thank Dr. Roizen for laying the groundwork.

Katherine Saunders, MD

Executive Vice President, Intellihealth and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine

Obesity cuts life short. It is a domino illness that impacts many other conditions – including heart, diabetes and mental health. Among the few global specialty-trained physicians prepared to engage is Dr. Katherine H. Saunders. Dr. Saunders is a DABOM Co-Founder, Executive Vice President, Intellihealth, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, a physician entrepreneur, and a leading expert in Obesity Medicine. She is on the cutting edge of effective and compassionate obesity treatment. Dr. Saunders is among the featured Medika Life authors.

Dr. Saunders received her undergraduate degree Phi Beta Kappa/Summa Cum Laude from Dartmouth College and her medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College. She was the first clinical fellow in Obesity Medicine at the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She frequently speaks at national conferences, hosts the Weight Matters podcast, and publishes extensively on Obesity Medicine and weight management.

Louis Schwartzberg

Filmmaker and Documentarian

Louie Schwartzberg is an award-winning cinematographer, director and producer who has spent his notable career providing breathtaking imagery using his time-lapse, high-speed and macro cinematography techniques. Schwartzberg is a visual artist who breaks barriers, connects with audiences, and tells stories celebrating life and revealing the mysteries and wisdom of nature, people, and places.

Schwartzberg is the only artist inducted into the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Lemelson Foundation’s Invention Ambassadors Program. He has received the Debra Simon Award for Leadership in Mental Wellness from Global Wellness Summit. He was Oprah Winfrey’s guest on Super Soul Sunday, and his “Gratitude Revealed” film premiered on the OWN online platform.

Suzanne Steinbaum, MD

President and CEO, HeartTech.Health

Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum is a cardiologist, published author, and women’s wellness advocate. She is the founder and CEO of HeartTech.Health – a groundbreaking program for women’s holistic health prevention and author of Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum’s Heart Book: Every Woman’s Guide to a Heart Healthy Life. Dr. Steinbaum has been a national spokesperson for Go Red through the American Heart Association for 18 years, serves on the national medical advisory board for Peloton, and is a frequent guest on national television shows such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Doctors, and more.

Rick Stollmeyer

Founder, Mindbody, CEO Inspired Flight Technologies, Podcaster

Former US Navy officer Rick Stollmeyer launched MindBody and continues to serve as its visionary, ensuring that everything the organization embraces serves its mission – leveraging technology to improve the world’s wellness. He is also the organizer of The MindBody Annual Wellness and Beauty Conference, BOLD, features speakers such as former First Lady Michelle Obama, Billie Jean King, Arianna Huffington, Magic Johnson and Deepak Chopra.

Stollmeyer helped transform MindBody from a homebased operation with 12 clients to a full-fledged software development company serving more than 500,000 beauty, health, and wellness practitioners at 53,000 businesses in more than 130 countries. In December 2018, MindBody was acquired by Vista Equity Partners for $1.9 billion. Stollmeyer is now an investor and global voice for wellness.

John Whyte, MD, MPH

Chief Medical Officer, Medscape and WebMD

John Whyte, MD, MPH, is a knowledgeable physician and writer who has an exceptional ability to communicate with consumers and colleagues alike about health issues. For nearly two decades, he has been in the forefront speaking to pressing public health and wellness topics that people need to engage. Dr. Whyte is able to make the complex and problematic easier to navigate and engage. His magic with audiences makes Dr. Whyte a frequent visitor on network television station programs – including the always popular Dr. Phil.

He is also the author of several bestselling books for consumers on lowering risks for non-communicable illnesses such as cancer and diabetes. Before WebMD, Whyte served as the director of professional affairs and stakeholder engagement at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Whyte is a board-certified internist with a Master of Public Health in health policy and management from Harvard University School of Public Health. Comfortable in the Beltway or Boardroom, he is among the nation’s great ambassadors for health and wellness.

Olajide A. Williams, MD, MS

Professor of Neurology and Founder of Hip Hop Public Health

What would happen if more creative attention were given to wellness messages and how they impact consumer response? Enter Dr. Williams, a world-renowned leader in stroke disparities and community-based behavioral intervention research to reach people and prevent illness through the power of music. Dr. Williams is the founder and chair of Hip Hop Public Health and works with iconic Hip Hop influencers to use art, music, and science to promote healthy behaviors, health literacy, and health equity.

Dr. Williams knows from his upbringing in Nigeria that many illnesses are preventable, but if the message falls flat, people tune out. Along with his work in global public health, he is a Professor and Chief of Staff of the Department of Neurology at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and an attending physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. When the next global public health crisis hits, we hope Dr. Williams is invited to the table – sickness is not an option.

Mary Yarbrough, MD, MPH

Executive Director VUMC, Health and Wellness Program

As we have seen during the worst of the COVID era, frontline health heroes also need attention to their wellness! Dr. Mary Yarbrough is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Executive Director of Vanderbilt’s Faculty/Staff Health and Wellness Programs, which includes the Occupational Health Clinic; Work/Life Connections–EAP, including the Faculty/Physician Wellness and Nurse Wellness Programs.

Previously she served as a Luce Scholar in Sabah Malaysia, as a consultant to the World Health Organization, and as Director of Environmental Epidemiology for the Tennessee Department of Health. Dr. Yarbrough earned her MD from Vanderbilt and MPH from Johns Hopkins. For the professionals addressing pressing medical needs, we must remember the physical and mental health toll this burden places on their shoulders. Dr. Yarbrough is among the nation’s top experts.

Thirty Inspiring Wellness-Sector Role Models

We hope you find these 30 Influencers of Wellness inspiring role models. Seeing the possibilities of extended health over many years is a better way to live. Still, we must continue to direct our eyes toward societal injustices that impede the ultimate goal of a health ecosystem that addresses physical and emotional needs. These wellness leaders champion a life filled with adventure, tasty food, and companionship must also join other health influencers who question the status quo of discrimination, disparities and disruption.

Let’s do our part to ensure these incredible people are heard and supported. Follow and engage with these outstanding advocates of a world filled with wellness. Also, follow people they follow – those people are future candidates for the Medika Top 30 and 50 lists. Again, with a list of 30 people, it’s impossible to include everyone we considered – there were many, and we look forward to featuring their efforts. That is why we urge everyone to visit past lists and engage.

This Spring, Medika Life hopes to release its 30 Voices in Digital Health Health List for 2023, featuring fearless life science innovators seeking to advance access to care, champion new therapies and accelerate diagnosis and alternative treatment approaches. Stay tuned! Follow Medika on Twitter and LinkedIn and follow our editorial staff for updates.

Spot a broken link, typo, forgotten degree or name misspelled?

Oops! Apologies! While care has been taken in compiling this list and adding social media links, things go wrong, or a name is misspelled or a link broken. We seek to honor those listed! Please do get in touch to address typos, amendments, or omissions by reaching gil.bashe@medika.life.

Thanks in advance and be healthy!

The post The Medika Life Top 30 Voices Transforming Wellness for 2022/23 appeared first on Medika Life.

Rural America – A Generational Struggle for Health Equality

Gil Bashe, Medika Life Editor — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 17:04:57 +0000

Songwriter and folk singer Woody Guthrie captured the expansive and diverse nature of rural America in his classic ballad This Land is Your Land:

This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York island,
From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters;
This land was made for you and me.

That Guthrie song, with its heartfelt words, offered conflicting images of a nation’s greatness and the great strife of its people – the never-ending tension between grander and affliction. The power of his lyrics – with verses too conveniently edited out to make the song a patriotic hymnal rather than the composer’s original intent – is a call to social consciousness. The classic 1940s folk song was written to spark a social impact edge to address the needs of overlooked citizens. The poverty Guthrie saw as he crisscrossed America’s dustbowl states continues. The reasons may be different; however, the suffering remains.

In a recent New York Times opinion piece, Tony Pipa, a senior fellow at the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution, who leads the Reimagining Rural Policy Initiative, working to transform U.S. policy to enable equitable and sustainable development across rural America, writes:

“Too often policymakers mistake agricultural policy for rural policy. Farming now accounts for just 7 percent of rural employment. Service jobs, retailing, manufacturing and government employment all outweigh agriculture. And while $163 million of the relief the Trump administration distributed during the peak of the trade war with China went to high-income farmers making more than $900,000 annually, small-scale and family farmers are increasingly taking off-farm jobs just to get by.”

Today, more than 46 million Americans live in rural communities. On average, rural locales lag behind non-rural communities on every measure of prosperity, from poverty rates to employment opportunities. This land may have been “made for you and me,” yet, when it comes to access to care, rural Americans live hours away from basic medical care, emergency services, and specialist providers. Their well-being – survival – often hangs on a limited broadband connection. The system to address their needs is usually based on urban and suburban expectations.

Rural community populations trend older than urban and suburban regions, and while age is an invitation to health risks, rural areas have 20 percent fewer primary care physicians. Rural counties often do not have a psychiatrist to deal with mental health needs, and 81 percent do not have a psychiatric nurse practitioner.

LOSE THE IMAGE OF A WHITE FARMER ON A TRACTOR

Photo Credit: Pexels by Williams Santos

Rural America’s needs are a bi-partisan issue impacting blue and red states. Congress has prioritized the rural communities’ needs for many good reasons. People of color – often the most vulnerable in the health system – comprise 24 percent of the rural population. This includes rural Indigenous Americans and more than half of impoverished Black Americans. That compares with 18 percent of rural whites.

While politicians look for fixes to the problem, physicians, payers, private citizens and retailers are stepping forward to help address the care in access and quality gap.

Earlier this year, Walmart and Medscape released Healthcare Professionals’ Perspectives on Healthcare in Rural America, the most extensive survey to assess barriers and solutions to care delivery from the perspectives of professionals on the front lines of health care in rural and non-rural communities. More than 10,000 primary care health care professionals (HCPs) shared opinions that quality care is the most significant concern in their day-to-day efforts for their communities, particularly for people with chronic care and mental health concerns.

FORGET TECH – THE GAP IS ABOUT QUALITY CARE

Rural healthcare professionals are already utilizing telehealth and tapping into electronic medical records to improve quality care delivery. While there is plenty of buzz about remote patient monitoring and digital health technologies as tools that will enhance access to care, the biggest concern among physicians on the frontlines of addressing patient needs is clinical training and financial assistance to keep community hospitals operating.

Physicians cite building on what they already utilize to care for their remote patients: state-of-the-art medical equipment, 5G internet service, and expanding use of electronic health records to guide their patients on self-care strategies. While technology helps with a care connection, it can only measure and monitor the substandard status quo.

PHYSICIANS IN RURAL AMERICA SEEK UPSKILLING

“We have known the systematic problems within the current health care system for decades. The Walmart-Medscape report emphasizes how health care professionals, like their patients, are most concerned about the quality of care, and we can no longer wait for old models to work,” said John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer at WebMD and Medscape and a Medika Life contributor. “This underscores the need for innovative solutions that look beyond the walls of the doctor’s office, similar to how Walmart is innovating in the space, driven by those who live and work in communities they serve.”

Often people in rural communities want to be cared for by people they know and trust and understand their local challenges and needs where they live and work. Experts addressing rural health needs know that staying well requires additional components beyond a physician visit. The advocates seek to tackle social determinants of health, improved clinical care, and environmental factors.

Retailers like Walmart are partnering with health plans, advocacy groups, and third-party health associations like the American Heart Association to fill these gaps. Major retail pharmacies such as Walgreens are showing commitment by investing in efforts to address health drivers such as food insecurity, maternal and infant health, diabetes and hypertension solutions to reduce health disparities.

PRIVATE CITIZENS SEEK TO TRANSFORM RURAL COMMUNITIES

“Challenges to rural Americans cause suffering, which drives despair and feeds discord. Dialogue that elevates awareness of people’s difficulties is an important step in providing a remedy, and communication is the first step in providing viable solutions,” said Peter Finn, who founded, with his wife Sara Finn, a Foundation to address the pressing needs within his Upper New York State community of Hunter. Finn taps communication and creativity to make a difference and transform rural communities.

“I have been a long-time resident of Hunter, one of the far too many rural communities struggling in Upstate New York. The town was economically depressed and quickly deteriorating, but rather than abandon Hunter and shut our eyes to what was happening. We chose to get involved by raising awareness and mobilizing others to create the Catskill Mountain Foundation,” he adds.

The Foundation calls upon the arts – music, creativity and dance – to draw people into the community all year round. Today, Hunter’s streets are lined with inns, restaurants, antique shops, and art galleries. Visitors come to enjoy the fall foliage, hike, and ski. The example of Hunter, New York, and other living laboratories proves how volunteering spirit, creativity and caring about rural community needs can shift the tide of events.

Others are contributing their talents to give voice to the diverse challenges rural Americans face. “Living in the heartland has become increasingly difficult for Americans, and with this unprecedented narrative podcast documentary, we will present noted policy, community, and industry leaders working to change this reality,” reflects Matthew Zachary, co-founder and executive producer of the award-winning podcast network of OffScrip Health.

Zachary, who is no stranger to tackling life-threatening issues, is looking to create the first audio documentary on the struggles of rural Americans, tapping into the network of companies, rural community leaders and government leaders who want to share how they are shifting from rehashing old issues to rolling-up their sleeves to solve problems.

CONFRONTING STIGMA – MENTAL HEALTH IN RURAL AMERICA

People with mental health needs face stigma. That remains among the biggest hurdles to seeking care – the thought of “What will people think?” For people in rural communities, anticipating the negative reactions of family and community is an added emotional challenge that keeps people from seeking the care needed. Like any illness with progressive influence, failure to treat mental illness has life-threatening possibilities. Suicide rates increase as population density decreases. According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide rates among people living in rural areas are as much as 68 percent higher than in large urban areas.

Jeff Winton is the Founder and Chairman of Rural Minds, a nonprofit organization working to end the suffering, silence and stigma surrounding mental illness in rural America. He is a part of the multigenerational farm Wall Street Dairy, LLC — a working dairy farm in Chautauqua County, New York – and founder of a major communications firm that addresses health issues.

In his opinion piece appearing on the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, Winton writes:

“Increasing awareness that mental illness is a health condition — just like cancer, heart disease, or diabetes — is one way to help overcome the stigma in rural communities. In addition, talking openly with others about lived experiences with mental health challenges helps to normalize the conversation and diffuse the stigma surrounding mental illness. The simple act of sharing stories can be an important first step for people to seek help for their own mental health challenges and encourage others to admit that they are struggling.”

The physical and mental health challenges to rural Americans cause suffering, which drives despair and feeds discord. Dialogue that elevates awareness of people’s difficulties is essential in providing a remedy, and awareness is a crucial step toward viable solutions.

OVERCOMING DESPAIR, DISEASE AND DEATH

Apathy and poverty double team are the domino of rural health killers. Walmart and Walgreen, and other major retailers are engaged. Individuals with passion are leaning into the challenge and inviting others to join in their efforts. Health organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Telemedicine Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield, National Rural Health Association, and many others have joined the effort to raise quality and ensure access to care.

Rural America is vast, with a remarkably diverse population and needs. The biggest problem isn’t decision-makers’ willingness to dedicate money or their readiness to align blue and red forces in bipartisan action to the challenge. The government often seeks big solutions to significant challenges. However, the image we have long held onto of rural America – the proud and industrious farmer in a ballcap sitting on a tractor – is as outdated as the stoic, proud tiller of the land. These citizens need our help urgently. How do we resolve these problems? We start by recognizing that a one-sized solution does not fit all.

Woody Guthrie, while some verses of your ballad were conveniently edited out, we know your question:

As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking,
Is this land made for you and me?

Yes, it is! Woody, we still remember.

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The Power of Lifestyle Choices – The Dose of Truth in “Heal Thyself”

John Whyte MD — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 13:45:42 +0000

“You need to lose weight.” Doctors say that to patients every day. What they don’t do is tell patients how to do it. That’s because most doctors don’t know what to tell patients – our expertise in nutrition is severely limited. Our knowledge of exercise science is basically non-existent. Many of my physician colleague bemoan that patients don’t make healthy lifestyle choices, so they don’t “waste” time on it and just prescribe drugs. The problem with this reasoning is that it exists within a self-fulfilling prophecy—doctors provide little guidance on healthy diet and exercises, and then they complain that patients aren’t losing weight and getting healthier!

Lifestyle Changes May Be Better Than Rx Drugs

Let me be clear about this point — There’s a wealth of data that shows when specific healthy lifestyle interventions are performed correctly – with actionable recommendations – the effect can be just as good if not better than some prescription drugs. Take diabetes as an example. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) evaluated how intensive lifestyle changes might compare to medication in preventing the progression of prediabetes to diabetes. With more than 25 research sites around the country and thousands of participants, this study serves as a landmark trial should change how we think about lifestyle intervention!

Here’s what they did: They split participants into three groups – one received the drug metformin, one received no specific intervention, and the third receives intensive lifestyle coaching that consisted of a low-calorie, low-fat diet and at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise. Participants received specific advice on what and how to eat, as well as what types of exercises to do.

The goal was to lose 7% of their baseline body weight. For most people, that was 15-20 lbs. Guess who got the most benefit? The lifestyle group did the best of all three groups—it even out-performed the one group that received medication. As for the belief that older folks won’t make changes (“can’t teach an old dog new tricks”), lifestyle changes for people over 60 years of age resulted in 71% reduction in diabetes risk! This wasn’t a one-time benefit where participants gained weight when the program was finished. Even after 10 years, the risk reduction was 34%.

If you combine social support with lifestyle changes, the results can be even more impressive! A recent study teaching lifestyle changes in a group support setting included patient-centered counseling techniques, motivation to change, social support and assistance with goal setting, action planning and self-monitoring. Again, the goal was 7% weight loss, 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise including 2-3 sessions of muscle strengthening, as well as a program for healthy-eating. All of this was not done in a vacuum – There were 12 hours of educational group sessions. The majority of participants were followed by 2 years. No medications were prescribed.

Again, impressive results in reversing high blood sugars! In fact, there was a 40-47% reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in those who participated in the study.

Lifestyle changes work! Of course, they have to be done properly. We often like to quip “medications only work in people who take them” – well, lifestyle changes need to be prescriptive with specific advice and results measured consistently over time if you’re going to recommend them. I find the biggest problem is that physicians don’t encourage patients in a meaningful way to eat healthy, be more active, and focus on quality sleep. They don’t talk to patients about the benefits, so patients often don’t make a real effort.

Physicians Have Their Limits – Look at Varied Coaching Options

The argument from physicians will be “ I don’t have time” or “I don’t get paid to give that type of advice.” That should not be a sufficient reason to not provide proven therapeutic interventions. Yes, we must be practical – most physicians are not equipped right now to do this.

The remedy? We use consultants all the time as part of our medical training, and now we need to start consulting for help with strategies to address lifestyle. Let’s partner with nutritionists and personal trainers to advise patients with specific information on how to eat healthy, as well as give detailed advice about different exercises. We need to use digital tools that provide real-time feedback to help patients make healthy choices. These include apps that can analyze food quality through pictures, continuous glucose monitors to assess blood sugar, as well as devices that tell you whether you are burning fat or carbs in the morning, at bedtime, and before exercise. And we need insurance coverage to ensure everyone can benefit from it.

Lifestyle changes work! Sure, there’s still a role for medications for many people – but let’s not jump to them all the time.

*****

[Editor’s Note: Dr. John Whyte is author of the bestselling health guide: “Take Control of Your Diabetes Risk.” From his newest work, you can learn more about ways to reduce your diabetes risk and change your mindset from “I hope I don’t get diabetes to I can prevent diabetes.“]

Perreault L, Kahn SE, Christoph CA, Knowler WC, Hamman RF; Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Regression from pre-diabetes to normal glucose regulation in the diabetes prevention program. Diabetes Care. 2009 Sep;32(9):1583-8. doi: 10.2337/dc09-0523. Epub 2009 Jul 8. PMID: 19587364; PMCID: PMC2732165.

Sampson M, Clark A, Bachmann M, et al. Lifestyle Intervention With or Without Lay Volunteers to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes in People With Impaired Fasting Glucose and/or Nondiabetic Hyperglycemia: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2021;181(2):168–178. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.5938

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The Medika Life 50 – The Most Influential Voices in Health for 2022

Medika Life — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 12:01:06 +0000

For the 2022 Medika Life Top 50 Healthcare Influencers list, we have sought to identify voices – some expected and many new – that carry significant weight, both within their fields of expertise and across the health ecosystem. In particular, this year we sought to include the voices of patient advocates and ambassadors for those who need care and advance innovation.

All who have been selected for the 2022 Influencer List effect change and champion care and innovation. All are driven to improve people’s wellbeing and create a better, more accessible, more equitable health system. All express and share bold ideas and look to engage the health sector in conversation.

To compile our listing, Medika Life analyzed data from varied sources and used analytical tools to assess individuals’ social impact and reach. We examined numerous factors, including potential influencers’ effectiveness in engaging others and supporting healthcare improvement through original content. We have tried as much as possible to filter out the effects of Covid-19, which gave prominence to voices that were embedded in the frequent and changing news flow. We made the difficult choice to ensure new names (more than 50%) were featured on the 2022 listing. We sought to look at candidates’ overall contributions past, present, and, hopefully, future, to biomedical innovation, patient care, and wellness.

It was a challenge to select only 50 names for this listing. There are hundreds of committed and qualified individuals who were considered worthy. They work as advocates, change agents, innovators, and business leaders, and though not all could be chosen, we are eager to engage and support them and will highlight many others in the coming year.

We considered geographies – Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. We wanted to ensure that patient voice was present as partners at the table. We looked to ensure diversity and equity. Also, for the first time, media were included. We wanted to focus on people with ideas and the courage to share those thoughts and stand by ideals that include equitable and accessible care.

My thanks to my friend, mentor, and the Medika.Life Founding Editor-in-Chief Dr. Robert Turner for assisting me in this difficult process. Had he not been on the review committee, he would have most certainly appeared on this list of influentials.

[Please also refer to the list alongside, of the 2021 Most Influential Voices in Healthcare. These individuals also continue to have an impact and are important to watch, follow, amplify and engage. To that end, they retain their “Voice of Influencer” as Medika Top 50 alumni. We will also be preparing our lists of influentials in digital health, environmental health, health innovation, and mental health.]

Gil Bashe, Editor-in-Chief, Medika.Life

Download your Selection Certificate

If your name appears on the list below, we’ve prepared individual graphics for you to display on your website, blog, or social media to celebrate your selection. It’s well deserved and an acknowledgment for your efforts and dedication to better healthcare. You can download your certificate by clicking here. A sample appears below.

The Medika Life 50 – The Most Influential Voices in Healthcare for 2022

Here is our Medika Life roster of 50 people to follow – not ranked; all-important voices – to have on your radar screen for the years to come – follow their content and voices – advocates for patient care and health innovation:

John Nosta

Founder of NOSTALAB – Innovation Theorist

First and foremost, John is a thinker – never frightened to confront and exchange ideas. He is a thinker embracing the world of science, medicine, and innovation. John is the founder of NOSTALAB—a global digital health think tank recognized for its inspired vision of transformation. John is ranked as one of the leading voices in medical innovation and technology and well established as a top global strategic and creative thinker. He is also one of the most popular speakers around the globe, offering an insightful perspective on the future of innovation.

John’s focus is on guiding companies, NGOs, and governments through the dynamics of exponential change and the diffusion of innovation into complex systems. We appreciate his readiness to enter the fray and challenge the status quo. As important, he is a guide and mentor to many making him a given Medika Life Top 50 Influencer.

John is also a Medika author and you can follow his thoughts on healthcare via his dedicated column on this platform.

Jamey Edwards, MBA

COO, StartUp Health – Entrepreneur who Advocates for Start-Ups

Jamey Edwards is long known as a visionary leader in the health information and technology start-up space. His background makes him ideally suited to his new role as chief operating officer at StartUp Health. Many remember him from his past position as CEO and Co-founder of Cloudbreak Health (which merged with UpHealth and went public via SPAC in 2021). Jamey has been an active member of the health transformation community, offering his wisdom and experience – always available to help others and support their journey.

In his new role at Start-Up Health, Jamey put his 25 years of experience in healthcare, investment banking, and private equity to great use by helping entrepreneurs leverage his real-world experience to support the needed work to heal an unhealthy system of care. Continuing that mission, Jamey is now also a member of the Galien Foundation “Incubator, Accelerator and Equity” Judging Committee, where standards of excellence for the category will be set. Jamey is an advocate for many – an influencer for innovation that can improve patient care.

Michelle Longmire, MD

Physician and CEO at Medable Inc. – Making Drug Development Accessible

Dr. Longmire is mission-driven to accelerate the development of new therapies for disease. A Stanford-trained physician-scientist, Dr. Longmire has identified critical barriers to drug development and founded the pioneering company Medable to offer a new approach to drug development that harnesses clinical trial technologies to remove traditional roadblocks to participation and radically accelerate the research process. She is among the new leaders appearing in the evolving field of decentralized clinical trials.

More than a CEO and courageous business visionary, she is an advocate for diversity in drug development. Dr. Longmire is a change agent for the future of innovation and her leadership approach enables Medable to tap into the talents of some of the best and brightest from different industries – consulting, consumer marketing, bench science, and digital technologies – to advance the company’s mission. Her influence is seen through her ability to forge partnerships across the health ecosystem, most recently with pharmacy chain giant CVS. Dr. Longmire is present and always eager to listen and help others connected to the mission of making clinical trials for new therapies easily accessible.

Daniel Kraft, MD

Chair, XPRIZE Pandemic Alliance Task Force – Physician-Scientist and Inventor

A Stanford and Harvard-trained Physician-Scientist innovator and investor with more than 25 years of clinical, research, biotechnology, and entrepreneurial experience. Chair of Medicine at Singularity University and Founder and Chair of Exponential Medicine, Dr. Kraft brings needed expansive thinking to academic settings and medicine. Beyond creativity, he demonstrates the validity of his ideas in multiple publications and patents secured and shares ideas through his faculty positions at Stanford Medical School and UCSF (clinical faculty: Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation). He serves as chair of the XPRIZE Pandemic Alliance Task Force. Aspen Institute Health Innovation Fellow.

Singularity University and Exponential Medicine are unique cross-disciplinary programs that explore how rapidly advancing, convergent technologies can shape the future of healthcare and it fits Dr. Kraft’s expansive approach to health. Daniel is also an advisor to several leading biomedical and digital health startups. If academics and medicine were not enough, Dr. Kraft has put in his time in service to the nation as US Air Force National Guard Veteran having served as a unit Flight Surgeon. Inventor, teacher, advocate for patient care, and organizer, Dr. Daniel Kraft is certainly an influencer.

Amir Kalali, MD

Physician-Scientist and Convener of Communities that Advance Life Science

Dr. Kalali is a physician-scientist, recognized globally as a leading innovator at the intersection of life sciences and technology, and a convener of collaborative high-impact forums. He is a board director of both private and publicly traded companies and advises companies in the life sciences and technology sectors, universities, and investment groups. If the life-science industry had a Yoda, it would be Dr. Amir Kalali!

Dr. Kalali is the Co-Chair of the Decentralized Trials and Research Alliance (DTRA), Chairman and Founder and Chief Curator of the CNS Summit, a forum dedicated to the future of life sciences, and was the Founding Chairman, and sits on the Executive Committee of the International Society for CNS Drug Development (ISCDD), one of the first independent non-profits to bring together leaders in drug development to collaborate, and on the Executive Committee of the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology (ISCTM). Both a neurologist and psychiatrist, Dr. Kalali is also an author, mobilizer, board member, corporate advisor, and host to industry change agents. Consider most neurology medications today and it would not be a surprise to learn that Amir had a hand in their clinical development program. If you want to be at your best, attend one of his gatherings, your social and intellectual circle of amazing people will expand greatly. If you follow him (or will follow him) on Twitter, his short bio says it all: “I might be up to something.” Be assured Dr. Kalali is always exploring new territory.

Michael Bidu, MBA

Co-Founder and CEO of INTERFACE Health Society, Innovation Advocate

Michael Bidu is the Co-Founder and CEO of INTERFACE Health Society, a not-for-profit virtual digital health technology accelerator based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Interface Health is a platform and community that cares about innovators, the future of health, and making a difference in the world. This is where you can find the right solutions, connections, and resources, anytime, anywhere – which means faster access, reduced costs, improved experiences, and better outcomes for everybody.

Michael is also the Co-Founder and CEO of MYND Therapeutics Inc. a Vancouver-based digital health company that is disrupting the global wellness and healthcare industry by focusing on physical, mental, and behavioral conditions. The company makes science-based, immersive, socially engaging digital therapies that work virtually anytime, anywhere. The 1st product is scheduled for the market in 2022. What is more evident about Michael is his extraordinary support for entrepreneurs and ensuring their voices are heard.

Junaid Bajwa, MD

CMS at Microsoft, Patient Champion Harnessing Innovation to Improve Care

Dr. Bajwa is the Chief Medical Scientist at Microsoft Research and a practicing physician in the NHS (the UK’s National Health Service). He was previously the Global Lead for Strategic Alliances and Solutions for the Global Digital Centre of Excellence at Merck Sharp & Dohme, where he led a range of strategic initiatives to improve patient care, including the establishment of internal partnerships across the enterprise and external partnerships across the health care ecosystem.

Dr. Bajwa cofounded “VelocityHealth” as Europe’s first prevention-focused digital-health accelerator, in partnership with Telefonica, and led his team to deliver the “NHS Testbed” in partnership with Verily Life Sciences (part of Alphabet), which the Health Service Journal recognized as the “Best Pharmaceutical Partnership with the NHS” in 2018. Junaid is first and foremost a physician and dedicated to applying health innovation to ensure access to care.

Yele Aluko, MD, MBA

Chief Medical officer at EY – Voice for Equity in Healthcare

Proven MD/ MBA physician executive and corporate leader. Multiyear experience in healthcare clinical and administrative strategic planning, program growth, and development. Seasoned health equity practitioner with a focus on solution development and deployment. Prior clinical practice in interventional cardiology specializing in complex coronary and structural heart interventions, known for his empathetic and disciplined manner and his equally strong focus on consensus, team building, accountability, mentorship, and innovation.

Dr. Aluko is trained as a structural heart cardiologist and served as senior vice president of heart and vascular services at a 15-hospital integrated regional health care system in the Southeast USA. There, his responsibilities included governance of an enterprise-wide clinical strategy overseeing cardiovascular service line vision, growth, clinical integration, physician alignment, and standardization of clinical, operational, and business processes. He is an expert on what works and what doesn’t in the US health system.

He is board certified by the Canadian Board of Internal Medicine and is triple-board certified in internal medicine, cardiology, and interventional cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Most important, Dr. Aluko is an expert in social determinants of health and addressing issues of health disparities that result in health inequities and care outcomes. Yele is one of those incredible minds that after spending a few hours talking with him, you hope he will influence the highest levels of the health ecosystem.

Stacy Hurt, MBA, MHA

Patient Engagement Consultant, Patient Ambassador

Stacy Hurt, MHA, MBA, is a leading voice for patient voice and care. She is an award-winning 20-year healthcare executive, caregiver to her intellectually and developmentally disabled son, and she is a Stage IV colorectal cancer survivor. Stacy serves as an advocate for patients around the world for the inclusion of their voice in shared clinical decision-making. Now, as a Patient Consultant, she helps pharma/tech companies and health systems shift from fee-for-service to a value-based care model by connecting to consumers through first-hand lived experience and strategic expertise.

Stacy has been a HIMSS Digital Changemaker and is on the #TelemedNow thought advisory panel for telehealth expansion. Her clients include Parexel, Red Hat, Promega, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Bayer. Ultimately, Stacy makes the business case for including a patient perspective with industry/clinicians and their customers. Stacy is a powerful voice for innovation that ensures patients are engaged in the process. In fact, she is pioneering the territory to make sure that every company involved in health innovation recognizes that patient advocates must be welcomed and respected members of the process. She’s courageous and persistent in so many ways, it’s likely Stacy Hurt will succeed!

Cheryl Pegus, MD, MPH

Executive Vice President, Health and Wellness, Walmart

Cheryl Pegus, MD, MPH, is a board-certified physician with subspecialty training in cardiology and is the EVP of Health and Wellness at Walmart. Previously she was the President of Consumer Solutions and Chief Medical Officer at Cambia Health Solutions. She has held roles as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Product Development for other national health systems and pharmacy retailers. She has a demonstrated track record of launching innovative healthcare products that enable organizations to capture and maintain market share. Dr. Pegus has held leadership positions with Walgreens and other health giants.

She is on the board of the American Heart Association and is the past-Chair of the Association of Black Cardiologists. She has been recognized as a leader in pragmatically addressing gaps in care and cost across underserved populations utilizing data-driven, innovative solutions to improve health and care fragmentation. Dr. Pegus has an extensive background in health provider systems, public health, professional association, private equity, and more. Walmart made a wise decision tapping Dr. Pegus for this new role – a decision that may likely benefit every community near a Walmart.

Hesham A. Hassaballa, MD, FCCP, FAASM

Associate Regional Medical Director – Critical Care – The Voice of Reason

Hesham Hassaballa, MD, FCCP, FAASM is a practicing intensivist with more than 17 years of clinical practice. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. Dr. Hassaballa is a Regional Medical Director for Sound Physicians’ Critical Care practice in the Midwest. He leads and oversees clinical operations in multiple ICUs in the Midwest, and he is Medical Director of Respiratory Therapy at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, IL. At Rush-Copley, Dr. Hassaballa chairs hospital committees is part of the Medical Staff Leadership, and has delivered solid improvements in process and outcome metrics, including ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay of ICU patients, and mortality. Dr. Hassaballa is also a Regional Innovation Leader for Critical Care, and he is also a Physician Advisor and serves on the Education and Advisory Board for Advisory Services.

He’s an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Course Director for Rush University Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine for the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center College of Medicine. He serves as a peer reviewer for the Society of Critical Care Medicine. He has presented research a number of times at national meetings, and he has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed medical journals. Moreover, Dr. Hassaballa is a prolific writer, with articles appearing in newspapers and websites globally, and has published a medical thriller, “Code Blue.” Dr. Hassaballa is among the founding editors of Medika.Life. More so, his writings are a must-read and come from the heart.

Craig Lipset, MPH

Advisor, Educator, Mentor, Innovator – Decentralized Clinical Trials Pioneer

Craig Lipset leads at the forefront of innovation in clinical research and medicine development. He is an advisor to technology and biopharmaceutical companies, leading universities, and the venture community, bringing vision and driving action at the intersection of research, digital solutions, and patient engagement. Craig was the Head of Clinical Innovation and Venture Partner at Pfizer, on the founding Operations Committee for TransCelerate Biopharma, and on the founding management teams for two successful startup ventures (Perceptive Informatics and Adnexus Therapeutics). During that time, Craig designed and launched multiple industry firsts — from the first fully remote/virtual clinical trial for a new medicine to the first returning of results and data to research participants.

He now serves on the Board of Directors for the Decentralized Trials & Research Alliance where he is Founder and Co-Chair, Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, and the MedStar Health Research Institute, and, as well as on the Editorial Board for Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science. In response to the statement, “Patients should have a seat at the drug development table,” Craig responds: “Have a seat at the table? It’s their table.” Craig influences the conversation every time.

Rachel Hodgdon

President and CEO, International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) – Creating a Healthier Planet

Rachel Hodgdon is President and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), a public benefit corporation on a mission to improve human health and well-being through people-first places. Included in her IWBI leadership responsibilities, Rachel leads its Standard Development, Education, Research, and Credentialing divisions.

A widely sought-after expert and inspiring speaker, Rachel’s game-changing contributions to green building have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Parenting Magazine, FOX News, CNN, and in leading industry publications including Metropolis, Grist, and GreenBIZ. Rachel has also guest-edited Green Building & Design magazine. Rachel is at the forefront of raising awareness in environmental and planetary health tirelessly mobilizing leaders to create safe, welcoming healthy spaces. Uniting for-profit, not-for-profit, and academic leaders in the conversation for a healthier future makes her a must watch and follow.

Levi Shapiro, MBA

Founder, mHealth Israel – Global Health Tech Ambassador

Levi Shapiro is Head of the Digital Health Program at the Hebrew University BioMED MBA program and teaches Digital Health in prominent programs like Stanford BioDesign. As the Founder of mHealth Israel (8,000+ members), he leads Israel’s largest community of health technology innovators. His articles appear in leading industry publications. He holds Board positions with health technology startups and acts as a strategic advisor to prominent global healthcare organizations. If you have not attended one of Levi’s “Meet-Ups,” you’re missing something big! Levi makes and shares connections!

Levi also maintains the mHealth Israel LinkedIn community (12,000+ members). In a career spanning Beijing, Tokyo, Milan and Tel Aviv, Levi launched new business units (IBM), new products and services (Toyota), and a variety of technology startups. He is an investor and Board Member in Israeli health tech startups and formerly a General Partner in the venture capital firm, Veritas. Mr. Shapiro holds degrees from Tulane (BA), Cornell (Asian Studies), and MIT (MBA). Speak to him in Japanese – he’ll surprise you!

Artur Olesch

Digital Health Journalist, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of aboutDigitalHealth

Artur Olesch is a Berlin-based freelance journalist and correspondent for digital health-related topics. He is the founder of aboutDigitalHealth.com and editor-in-chief of ICT&Health International and OSOZ News. An author of 500+ articles and health-IT reports, content writer, an influential voice on social media. He mentors startups and guides healthcare organizations aiming to develop digital strategies. If anyone knows what is happening in the world of digital health, it’s Artur!

Artur is as gracious with his time as he is with his insights. If you are not following him on Twitter and reading his articles, you’re most certainly missing out!

João Bocas

CEO at Digital Salutem, DigitalHealth and Wearable Expert

João is a wearables expert and a globally recognized Top 100 Global Digital Health Influencer. His passion lies in helping others, sharing experiences, transferring knowledge, working collaboratively, and passing on the latest innovation trends from the digital health world. He is a thought leader in wearables, digital health, IoT, and healthcare innovation, including AI (artificial intelligence), robotics, and ML (machine learning ).

João explores the intersection of technology in modeling business models and shaping consumer behavior. His YouTube channel is a big hit in the digital health category and he’s now moved to sharing content in a regular LinkedIn blogpost. He also analyses the impact of disruptive innovations and shares future trends in the marketplace. His passion lies in helping others succeed.

Shazia Ahmad

Clinical Trial Engagement Expert, Rare Disease Advocacy Professional

A passionate leader with a desire to improve healthcare, clinical research practices, support strategy, and implementation on clinical programs with a special interest in rare and orphan indications, neuroscience, oncology, infectious diseases, respiratory and women’s health. A seasoned thought leader in the rare disease space and driven to ensure the patient journey and diagnostic experience is implemented in every program.

In her current role as Senior Director, Head of Patient & Physician Services at UBC, Shazia is driven to bring innovative solutions to clinical trial execution and outcome measurement. develop and support patient programs that address both disease-specific and cross-disease challenges, increase disease awareness, decrease time to diagnosis, increase access to therapy, and improve the clinical trial experience. Someone who knows the government research system, Shazia is a person to have on your side.

Allyson Ocean, MD

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Patient Ally

Dr. Allyson J. Ocean is Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, medical oncologist and attending physician in gastrointestinal oncology, Solid Tumor Division, at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and practices medical oncology at The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health. Board-certified in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology, Dr. Ocean’s primary interest is in the biology and treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies. She has published numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, and abstracts and is an active member of several professional societies, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the Pancreatic Cancer Research Team.

Dr. Ocean is now leading numerous clinical trials investigating radiolabeled antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, oncolytic viruses, and targeted therapies in pancreatic cancer. Dr. Ocean is the founding Medical Advisory Board Chair of Michael’s Mission, a nonprofit focused on improving the quality of life for colorectal cancer patients through research, education, and patient support. Her work with patient activist Anne Glauber, who dedicated the last years of her life to creating a “crowd-source” clinical trial community for patients with pancreatic cancer, called Let’s Win Pancreatic Cancer, reinforces that Dr. Ocean will not accept a deadly diagnosis as a given. Allyson is a champion for patient participation and someone to have on your side and follow.

Jeremy Lim, MD

CEO AMILI, Southeast Asia’s First Precision Microbiome Company

A/Prof Jeremy Lim (Fulbright 2002/3) is CEO and co-founder of AMILI, the Southeast Asian region’s first gut microbiome company centered in Singapore. A medical doctor trained in surgery and public health, Jeremy was most recently a partner in the Oliver Wyman Health and Life Sciences practice in Asia, which he founded in 2013.

He contributes back to his alma mater as Director of LIGHT, the global health institute for the NUS School of Public Health, and teaches global health systems reforms and digital health. He also writes regularly for both the scientific and popular media and in 2013 authored “Myth or Magic: The Singapore Healthcare System,” a book on the Singapore health system and the lessons for health reform efforts in other countries.

Rafael J. Grossmann, MD, FACS

Surgeon, DigitalHealth Innovator, Educator, Communicator – VR Pioneer

Throughout his career, Dr. Grossmann has focused on tapping the paradoxical power of technology to coexist with better, more humane medical care. He’s not just talking the talk, he’s certainly walking the walk!

Rafael is the world’s first doctor to use Google Glass technology during live surgery. This event catapulted him into the digital medicine ecosystem, as a disrupter of established medical paradigms and traditional ways of practicing and educating. He continues to be a powerful change agent in healthcare. He is a healthcare futurist, a full-time practicing surgeon, and a pioneer in adapting health technology to advance patient care. Dr. Grossmann is also an advisor and consultant to several companies, including Magic Leap, Animares, Nanox. Vision, Hippo Health, and other startup enterprises in the technology landscape. He’s lectured at MIT Media Lab, Stanford, Google, Deloitte, and many other pivotal digital-health industry players. When it comes to test driving tomorrow’s health tech, expect to see Rafael Grossman behind the wheel!

Amy Abernethy, MD, PhD.

President, Clinical Studies Platforms at Verily Life Sciences

Dr. Amy Abernethy is the President of Verily’s Clinical Studies Platforms, where she oversees the company’s clinical evidence generation platform product vision and related clinical research portfolio. Dr. Abernethy was recently Principal Deputy Commissioner of Food and Drugs of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Agency’s acting Chief Information Officer. Prior to her role at the FDA, Dr. Abernethy was Chief Medical Officer, Chief Scientific Officer, and Senior Vice President of Oncology of Flatiron Health.

Before joining Flatiron, Dr. Abernethy was Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and directed the Center for Learning Health Care in the Duke Clinical Research Institute and Duke Cancer Care Research Program in the Duke Cancer Institute. Dr. Abernethy is a hematologist/oncologist and palliative medicine physician who has authored more than 500 publications. She holds a BA in Biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, an MD from Duke University School of Medicine, and a Ph.D. in Evidence-Based Medicine and Informatics from Flinders University in Australia. Amy is a physician, scientist, and advocate for innovation that can unite patients with a health system that is geared to meet their needs.

Renzo Guinto, MD

Co-Founder of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health

Renzo Guinto, MD DrPH is the Chief Planetary Health Scientist and Co-Founder of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Concurrently, he is Associate Professor of the Practice of Global Public Health and Inaugural Director of the Planetary and Global Health Program of the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine in the Philippines. He also holds appointments at the Copenhagen School of Global Health and Ateneo School of Government.

An Obama Foundation Asia-Pacific Leader and Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow, Dr. Guinto is a member of the Lancet–Chatham House Commission on Improving Population Health post-COVID-19 (University of Cambridge); Lancet One Health Commission (University of Oslo); Advisory Council of Global Health 50/50 (University College London); and Editorial Advisory Board of The Lancet Planetary Health. He advises various organizations including the World Health Organization; World Bank; USAID; International Organization for Migration; Health Care Without Harm; and Philippine Department of Health.

He obtained his Doctor of Public Health from Harvard University and Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines, Manila. In 2020, he was included by Tatler Magazine in its Gen.T List of 400 leaders of tomorrow who are shaping Asia’s future. His influence – albeit quiet – is powerful.

Jen Horonjeff, Ph.D

CEO Savvy Cooperative, Ph.D., Patient Advocate for Human-Centered Design

Jen Horonjeff, PhD, is a patient advocate and Founder and CEO of Savvy Cooperative. Savvy is the first patient-owned public benefit co-op that helps companies build inclusive health innovations by gathering diverse patient insights. Dr. Horonjeff was named one of the 50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs of 2018 by Entrepreneur Magazine, alongside Elon Musk, Chance the Rapper, and Reese Witherspoon. Jen is committed to human-centered design in healthcare and has firsthand knowledge as both a patient and professional.

Always thinking about the voice of the patient, Dr. Horonjeff grew up with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and survived a brain tumor as an adult. She is also a patient-centered outcomes researcher, a human factors engineer, an FDA Consumer Representative, and serves on the Board of Directors of The Sequoia Project. She earned her Master’s in Ergonomics and Biomechanics and Ph.D. in Environmental Medicine, from New York University. Jen continues to give patients a platform to ensure their voices are heard and valued. At JP Morgan in 2019, she made sure to get the attention for her POV by appearing in a hospital gown to underscore the inequity of the physician/patient relationship. She is an advocate for a health system co-designed with patients.

Michael Rosenblatt, MD

Senior Partner, Flagship Pioneering – Ambassador of the Patient in Life Science

Dr. Michael Rosenblatt joined Flagship as Chief Medical Officer from Merck, where he was executive vice president and the company’s first chief medical officer from 2009 to 2016. Drug development pioneer, hospital executive, and educator, he has held key appointments as Dean of Tufts University School of Medicine; the academic chairs as Robert H. Ebert Professor of Molecular Medicine and George R. Minot Professor of Medicine, at Harvard Medical School; senior vice president for academic programs of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and director of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. Dr. Rosenblatt is the holder of 19 patents and is the author or co-author of more than 180 peer-reviewed papers and commentaries.

Born in a displaced person’s camp to Holocaust survivors, has given “Mike” a world-view that places the needs of the patient front and center. During his tenure at Merck as chief medical officer, he secured a direct connection to the Merck board to ensure patient concerns would have a voice. A leader in drug development, he is the recipient of the Fuller Albright Award for his work on parathyroid hormone, the Vincent du Vigneaud Award in peptide chemistry and biology, and the Chairman’s Award from Merck. He is a member of the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows, and the research advisory committees of the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Boston. Mike is a medical Renaissance person.

Mike also serves as a Co-Chair of the Galien Foundation Prix Galien Awards Committee for his leadership work in public health and drug development. Those that know Mike can attest to his attention to the urgency of people’s needs.

Sachin Jain, MD, MBA

President and CEO, SCAN Group and Health Plan – Patient Care Innovator

Dr. Sachin H. Jain, MD, MBA, is President and CEO of SCAN Group and Health Plan, where he is charged with leading the organization’s growth, diversification, and emerging efforts to reduce healthcare disparities. SCAN revenues top $3.4B and the organization serves 220,000 patients.

Dr. Jain is a respected thought leader in health care delivery. His interest in the system has led him to work in the White House, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and pharmaceutical giant Merck before going to the provider side of the industry at Caremore. He is recognized as a “Top 50 Most Influential Clinical Leader” and “100 Most Influential People in US Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare. In 2018, LinkedIn named him its top voice (#1) for healthcare. But there is more. Dr. Jain is a Forbes contributor and front-and-center advocate for putting the patient at the center of the health system. Most important, where and when change is needed to improve patient care, expect to see Dr. Sachin Jain as part of the conversation.

John Whyte, MD, MPH

Chief Medical Officer at WebMD – Shifting America from Sick Care to Self Care

WebMD Chief Medical Officer. Visionary, results-driven senior executive, physician, writer, healthcare policy expert, and innovative communicator with more than 20 years of professional experience providing healthcare leadership and policy development, Dr. Whyte blends big issue public health with personal and compassionate care.

Dr. Whyte is a board-certified internist and completed an internal medicine residency at Duke University Medical Center. He earned a master of public health degree in health policy and management at Harvard University School of Public Health. Before arriving in Washington, DC, Whyte was a health services research fellow at Stanford and an attending physician in the department of medicine. He has a strong handle on the balance that must be found between public health, public education, and private enterprise as partners. Dr. Whyte continues to put patients first and takes care to work in the clinic along with his WebMD responsibilities.

At a time when people feel resigned to their genetic destiny, Dr. Whyte is using his knowledge and abilities to inspire people to self-care and wellness. He now has two consumer health bestsellers available titled Take Control of Your Cancer Risk and Take Control of Your Diabetes Risk.

Dr. Whyte is now a Medika.Life author and you can follow his ideas and counsel on healthcare via his dedicated column.

Zubin Daruwalla, MD

PwC Singapore Health Industries Leader – Giving Life-Saving Ideas Structure

With the paradigm shift toward governments introducing telemedicine worldwide, Dr. Daruwalla has been involved in numerous studies looking at how telehealth can play a greater role in improving patient care and outcomes. He dedicates his talents to serving as an advisor to a number of Med and HealthTech start-ups so that patients will have easier access to care.

His extensive cross-cultural experiences from having lived in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Singapore exposed him to a wide variety of cultures and life experiences. Having obtained full registration with each country’s respective medical council, he continues his clinical work and research with current interests being in healthcare consulting and as a thought leader in the digital health and medical education spaces. With strong administrative and organizational skills, he is always looking at new and exciting opportunities to put his skill set to use so that entrepreneurs are able to blend their passions with sound processes.

Jhonatan Bringas Dimitriades, MD

CEO and Co-Founder, Lapsi Health, Digital Health Executive and Educator

Dr. Jhonatan Bringas Dimitriades, MD is a Medical Doctor from the Netherlands and Peru, an expert in Digital Health he holds positions of Business Director, Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer for different Medtech and Digital Health companies in Europe and the USA. He is currently the Global Ambassador for Medical Education in Digital Health for Medscape. Dr. Jhonatan Bringas is also on the Board of Directors and sits on the Advisory Board of several companies.

Watch him in his new venture called Lapsi Health. Lapsi is a medical startup, developing novel technology that enhances the usage of data in medicine. The technology and its patient-centered application is a bold idea and can impact care for millions. Global citizen, health-tech entrepreneur, educator and patient-access advocate secured Jhonatan berth on this year’s list.

Jeff Livingston, MD

CEO MacArthur Medical Center – Medical Journalist and Blogger

A nationally recognized thought leader, speaker, writer, blogger, and practicing physician who is considered an expert in the use of social media to educate patients, using new and innovative technology to improve care outcomes and the patient experience. Jeff is the founder of BeingWell on Medium and his efforts led to the creation of Medika.Life. Through his work, he created a platform for health professionals in medicine and allied health to share ideas from the trenches.

A partner at MacArthur Medical Center, since 2003 he serves as the company CEO. He has served previously as chairman of the ObGyn Department at Baylor Scott and White in Irving, Texas. Currently, he serves on the Board at THR Harris Methodist HEB and is the medical director at Texas Health Surgery Bedford. Livingston continues to speak, consult and provide leadership strategies to physicians, practice leaders, and health IT decision-makers throughout the United States. Jeff has been profiled in USA Today, Wired, Computer World, and Physicians Practice, among others, for his innovative use of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media channels to communicate with patients to better meet their health needs, educate and improve the patient experience.

Dr. Livingston serves as medical director for Silicon Valley HealthTap, Inc. an interactive health 2.0 network employing mobile health technology to connect doctors with patients. He also serves as medical director for the FQHC Collins Clinic in Fort Worth.

Professor Sam Shah

Chief Medical Strategy Officer, Digital Advisor, Specialist, Public Health

Sam is Chief Medical Strategy Officer for Numan and is one of the most respected voices in the UK on the topic of digital health. He is Honorary Chair and Professor of Digital Health within the Faculty of Future Health, College of Medicine and Dentistry with Ulster University. Sam serves as Chief Clinical Digital Advisor for Orcha and board advisor within healthcare and technology. He is a clinician and previously Director of Digital Development for NHS England and has a background in primary healthcare, public health, and research.

Sam uses his leadership voice to connect technology with access to health services; optimize the consumer experience and improve system efficiency. Sam has overseen the development of NHS 111 Online in England. He always has his vision for a better health system centered around improving people’s lives and remains one of healthcare’s most affable and approachable influencers.

Mark Chataway

CEO Hyderus / Leader Baird’s Communication Consultants – Public Health Champion

Mark always works to ensure that private enterprise considers public health urgencies. Expert in communications on health and medicines, Mark is known for his fearless counsel to mega biopharmaceutical companies on topics of global public health around preventing non-communicable diseases and ensuring prompt planning and response to infectious disease.

His many years of experience in communications on developing international health issues and managing international development programs, around AIDS and reproductive health have earned him world acclaim. Through the years, he has worked with noted clients such as International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, Hewlett Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, WHO, and Worldvision. Mark is dedicated to tackling issues for a more equitable world. What is most impressive is that Mark makes collaboration to improve people’s well-being his priority and platform. That is a heartfelt skill more and more leaders must embrace.

Aman Gupta, MBA

Managing Partner: Asia-Pacific, SPAG – Bringing Health Innovation to the World

Aman Gupta, is co-founder of PR Agency SPAG, and has been recognized for his global work in the PR and communications industry. He was the first Asian leader to be named to the TED Fellow 2003 list and has been listed as one of the ‘Top 25 Innovators’ by PRovoke Media, Asia-Pacific, for shaping influence and engagement in an era of dramatic marketing and communications disruption. He was also listed in the PR Week Global Powerbook (2016-17) as one of the most influential PR professionals around the world. Aman has been honored as ‘Communicator of the Year’, by the Industry Association at the Fulcrum Awards 2017.

Based in Mumbai, Aman extends his reach to others around the world and is dedicated to building a voice for Asian-based healthcare companies outside the region. His efforts have also led to SPAG serving as the representative for major North American health companies headquartered in Asia. Aman Gupta gives voice to global health innovation and is committed to public health. As Asia becomes more and more important to the conversation of global health, expert Aman to be part of those discussions.

Christine Von Raesfeld

CEO, People with Empathy; Online Community Leader, HIMSS Future50

Few people with a cause walk the talk as boldly and graciously as Christine Von Raesfeld, founder and CEO of People with Empathy. Christine is a pillar of patient advocacy and allyship in the rare and chronic disease community. Through the lens of her lived experiences in healthcare, she has become a champion for patient voices, diversity and inclusion in clinical research, and equitable patient-sponsor partnerships.

Christine brings her unique perspective and honed expertise to countless roles as a featured speaker for numerous conferences dedicated to the rare disease community and disease awareness initiatives. Christine is a dedicated voice for progress with her patient advocacy interests and stimulates dialog on a range of topics important to patients, clinicians, and industry as moderator and host of Health.Reconsidered on Clubhouse. Christine is there for others always and unites people and ideas to improve access to care.

Rasu Shrestha MD MBA

Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Executive VP at Atrium Health

Rasu B. Shrestha, MD, MBA, leads the Atrium Health enterprise strategy, including planning and tactical direction for strategic roadmap and beyond. In addition, he spearheads a renewed focus on innovation, launching new healthcare inventions, discoveries, and ideas to benefit our patients and the communities Atrium Health serves. He also provides executive leadership for corporate communications and marketing, as well as enterprise analytics, showcasing Atrium Health as a meaningful, national brand that leverages the power of data and insights.

Dr. Shrestha is a respected thought leader and visionary in the field of healthcare information technology and was recently recognized as “Executive of the Year” by Healthcare Dive and was acknowledged as one of the “Top 20 Health IT Leaders Driving Change” and as a “Top Healthcare Innovator” by InformationWeek. In addition, he is on the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and is the Chairman of the HIMSS Innovation Committee, and Co-chair of Health Datapalooza. While he has numerous clinical and corporate credentials, he exhibits an interest in others’ efforts to improve patient care and sees himself as a constant ally in their efforts.

Lori Rose Benson

Executive Director, Hip Hop Public Health – Public Health Change Agent

With more than 25 years of experience in public health and education, Lori joined Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) in 2017 as the organization’s inaugural Executive Director. Her experience in developing and scaling innovative health, fitness, and wellness programs is aligned with HHPH’s vision to empower youth around the globe with the knowledge and skills to make healthier choices, reducing preventable health conditions and the rising tide of childhood obesity.

Executive leader in the public health, education, wellness, and sports sectors with strong community and organizational ties within New York City, New York State, and across the country. Lori has mobilized a diverse community of educators, entertainers, and health professionals empowering youth with the transformative power of hip-hop. Together with outstanding partners and popular musicians, Lori is changing the beat on how to reach communities with life-saving messages. Watch Lori and Hip Hop Public Health continue to reach people on their terms and to their beat.

Ritesh Patel

Senior Partner, Global Digital Health, FINN Partners – Digital-Health Evangelist

When it comes to uniting people around ideas, expect to see Ritesh Patel in the center of the circle. After seven years at Ogilvy, Ritesh joined FINN Partners in July 2021 as its first global leader for digital health and continues his healthcare digital evangelism uniting academic settings, healthcare companies and industry communities. He consults with clients on digital transformation and connects their ideas and solutions to customers and consumers. Ritesh is a courageously bold spokesperson and shares ideas on numerous forums. A natural collaborator, he is passionate about sharing knowledge with peers and clients on the future of digital in healthcare. Born in Keyna, raised in the United Kingdom, and having relocated to the United States, he takes his ideas on the road speaking at a wide variety of digital and healthcare-centered events across the world.

At heart, he is always a Digital and Social Evangelist. With more than 20 years of Digital Experience, his background includes Online Marketing, Advertising, Sales, CRM, and E-Business. His focus is primarily on digital strategy, tools, platforms, and ecosystems in Healthcare. When he’s not talking digital, expect to find him at his restaurant in New Jersey that specializes in British Indian cuisine. Ritesh is the health sector’s Renaissance person.

Eugene Borukhovich, MBA

Co-Founder and COO YourCoach Health – Global Champion for Self-Care

Eugene is a serial intra- and entrepreneur, executive, venture builder, speaker, and board advisor with a focus on digital health. Eugene is Chairman & COO YourCoach. Along with being co-founder of YourCoach Health, he is the founder of Initium Impact Ventures. Prior to YourCoach, Eugene served as a Global Head of Digital Health at Bayer, and he has also co-founded and sold a doctor rating startup and a consulting company. His work is urgent and important!

By the year 2030, there is estimated that facing a myriad of illnesses resulting from poor self-care, people will look outside the traditional health system to address their needs. Perhaps as many as nine billion people in the world will seek access to global squads of health coaches to heal holistically, mind, body, and soul rather than succumb to non-communicable disease. Eugene sees self-care instead of sick-care as the needed path to sustain lives. He’s ready to engage. Watch what he says and does – it may save your life.

Jeff Ruby, JD, MBA

Co-Founder/CEO, Newtopia, Mobilizing Companies to Employee Wellness

Jeff Ruby is a health innovator and entrepreneur who is passionate about shifting the focus of health care from sick care to keeping healthy people healthy. As a health innovator and global thought leader, he is championing hyper-personalized and engaging strategies to deliver proven, scalable, and sustainable habit change and disease prevention by engaging companies to secure more benefits and outcomes for their employee community.

Prior to founding Newtopia in 2008, Jeff was co-founder and chief operating officer of Cleveland Clinic Canada, a collaboration between the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Canyon Ranch, Canada’s leading destination for preventive health and lifestyle management; co-founder and chief operating officer of Life Screening Centers Inc., a cancer screening and prevention company; and co-founder and head of operations of Genetic Diagnostics Inc., an early-stage biotechnology company commercializing a new genetic diagnostic testing platform.

Jeff is seeking to sustain and save people’s lives by getting their workplace communities to play a larger role in employee healthcare. He’s right! With companies and employees footing more and more of the health insurance burden, perhaps it’s time that employers took a more active role in their staff’s wellbeing.

Joanne Yoong, PhD

Senior Economist and Director, CESR-East

An experienced economist and interdisciplinary researcher with a past history in the finance, health, and think tank industry underwritten by a Stanford Ph.D. in economics. Joanne is a behavioral economist that has established a world-class reputation as both an outstanding academic and a practitioner. She is a Senior Economist at the University of Southern California, where she directs the Center for Economic and Social Research in Singapore. She also holds a concurrent appointment at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.

She is a recognized expert in program evaluation across sectors, bringing creative, data-driven solutions to community organizations, governments, and the private sector. Joanne is considered by many leading figures in healthcare to be integral to the wave of changes sweeping through the industry and Medika Life will explore her tireless and innovative efforts in an upcoming Voices of Healthcare feature article.

Ogan Gurel, MD

Innovation Leader, Author, Keynote Speaker, Bioelectromagnetics – Educator

Dr. Gurel is the Chief Science Officer for FLITE Material Sciences and holds academic appointments at the Solbridge International School of Business and DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology). He also serves as a Venture Partner at The Yozma Group and as Chief Marketing Officer for Eidware / SoundMind (Seoul), with previous roles at NovumWaves (Seoul), Nessa Hearing (Singapore); holds additional appointments as Honorary Fellow (University of Melbourne) and Visiting Professor (Libera Accademia Belle Arti–Italy).

Never resting on his laurels, Dr. Gurel was Chief Innovation Officer at Campus D, a Seoul-based startup incubator/Fab Lab, and served more than four years as a Director in the CTO office at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT). His business experience spans executive, marketing, clinical, and R&D domains, with expertise in medical devices, digital health, medical imaging, and biopharma while his academic research focuses on protein electrodynamics and terahertz medicine.

He doesn’t just hold onto his knowledge, he shares. Ogan is known for his amazing course called “Mini-Medical School (Mini-MD) a comprehensive, intensive overview of all of medicine, presented for marketing and sales business leaders where he covers the field of medicine – from the perspective of a physician in a few short weeks. It offers the “business side” of life science a glimpse of medicine from the healer’s perspective. Teacher and influencer, we welcome Dr. Gurel to this year’s Medika Life Top 50.

Kellie Lease Stecher, MD

OBGYN, Author, President and Co-Founder Patient Care Heroes

Physician, M.D., OBGYN, Author, Educator, Policy Consultant, Passionate, Determined, Persistent. Dr. Stecher is an advocate for justice, and a leader in the fight against institutional sexism. Her memoir, titled “Delivering” was released in October 2021. Patient Care Heroes was started as a simple social media post to tell the story of a physician hero who ultimately died as a result of caring for her patients with COVID-19, ultimately launching a national conversation about all those in healthcare who risk their lives going to work and providing care for their neighbors.

Kellie is its co-founder and president. Dr. Stecher is an advocate for reproductive rights, healthcare access, mental healthcare access, and gender and racial equity. She continues to work as an OBGYN.

Sedric Degbo, MD

CEO at REMA Medical Technologies, Collaboration that Saves Lives

Based in Benin, Dr. Degbo is engaged in building Africa’s largest medical community on REMA. The intent is to connect African healthcare professionals for better medical decisions. Its approach is to improve the quality of medical decisions by interconnecting all healthcare professionals practicing in Africa through a mobile application enabling them to share knowledge, experiences, and collaborate in real-time about patient cases, to make better decisions and save more lives. Thousands of medical cases are resolved each year via the “REMA” platform, which is used daily by doctors, midwives, and nurses from all over Africa.

Dr. Degbo has won several international awards in Africa, Europe, and America. His expertise is recognized by international health organizations and pharmaceutical groups, which he advises in their development strategies on African markets. In terms of social commitment, he devotes part of his time to promoting youth entrepreneurship and the 3rd sustainable development goal, in particular through conferences or by volunteering on the board of directors of non-profit organizations such as Bluemind Foundation for mental health.

Matthew Herper

Senior Writer, Medicine, Editorial Director Of Events at STAT – Words that Matter

It’s likely not a worthy STAT conversation unless Matt Herper is one of the event moderators. Since he came on the life science scene more than two decades ago he has reported on medical innovation — both its potential and pitfalls — writing about the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of medicine, from Avandia to Vioxx to Zytorin. Some stories left experts pondering about the science, and there are plenty of reasons to consider questions that raise the collective drug safety bar. We have seen his evolution through the years and applaud his efforts to consider all sides. Matt’s dedication to the field of biopharma reporting is exceptional.

Matthew was with Forbes for 18 years before taking the plunge and being one of the earlier top-tier health reporters to join the then-fledgling STAT staff. His decision and its impact accelerated the shift of science journalism from print to digital. We expect more great things will come from the keyboard of Matthew Herper.

Gregg Masters, MPH

Executive Producer at Healthcare Now Radio and Champion for Edgy Ideas

Recognized as a thought leader in healthcare social media and public health, known on social media by his Twitter handle @GreggMastersMPH, Gregg is a champion of voices seeking to improve the health system. He was there as a supporter during the nascent ramp-up of major social media platforms including Fierce Health, Health Information Technology by Health Data Management, and more. Gregg models best practices in digital content development, curation, distribution, and brand amplification. He mentors colleagues in both the strategic and the purposeful day-to-day application of interactive digital media tools from ‘lean’ to turnkey private-label branding.

Gregg is best known through his support for others as producers of numerous HealthcareNow Radio shows including PopUpStudio.productions, PopHealth Week, The AMCP Podcast series Powered by PopHealth Week, ACO Watch, Health Unabashed, HealthInnovationMedia.com fka HIBC.tv, JustOncology.com. He hosts (or co-hosts) several Internet radio programs including ‘This Week in Oncology’, ‘This Week in Accountable Care’ and ‘This Week in Health Innovation.” When there are people who need to be heard be assured Gregg is elevating their voices to the sector.

Todd Eury

Founder/CEO, Pharmacy Podcast Network – Giving Pharmacy Voice

Pharmacy could not have a stronger advocate for the discipline that touches almost every chapter of life – community care, hospitals, senior care and drug development. Todd is their ambassador. He has tapped podcast, digital publication, and professional development to unite the community among America’s most trusted profession – pharmacy.

As founder and executive producer of the Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN), he has built a community of more than 100,000 monthly listeners across more than 30 podcast channels. Todd has transformed the use of audio to improve education, patient care, and professional development. Setting new quality standards in content development with the provider in mind to support evidence-based information in audio form. Building community and elevating the voice of this critical care professional isn’t just a job for Todd – it’s his passion.

Brian Wallach, JD

ALS Patient Advocate, Activist, Inventor, Lawyer

Brian is an attorney and ALS patient who conveys his humanity and as a result, calls upon us to exhibit our empathy and engage. In the aftermath of his ALS diagnosis in November 2017, he and his wife founded “I AM ALS,” a patient-led, patient-centric movement to lead the fight for a cure to the disease and Synapticure to remake the broken, disconnected care system. He is also an associate at the leading law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. From 2014 to 2018, he served as an assistant United States attorney in the Northern District of Illinois.

From 2011 to 2013, he was senior vetting counsel in the Obama White House, responsible for overseeing the vetting process for nearly all Senate-confirmed executive branch appointees and all presidential appointments as well as working on congressional oversight investigations. Brian shares his thoughts about parenting with ALS and his desire to keep pushing himself and our entire health community to press forward and imagine a cure.

Mike Rea

CEO, IDEA Pharma – Challenger of the Drug Development Status Quo

Mike Rea heads Idea Pharma and was voted one of the Top 10 Innovators in the pharmaceutical industry. He is the creator of the annual “Pharmaceutical Innovation Index” and an industry expert in drug development positioning. His thinking and approach have supported more than 25% of the 50 fastest-growing drugs during the past five years and positioned four of the 10 blockbuster launches of 2017. Mike sees the blank space between the notes – in drug development and music. Perhaps it’s his varied interests that help Mike see things differently. He owns an independent record label called Medical Records, his citation on Wikipedia is for establishing the UK college American Football league, and he loves to find some mud and watch his three (or is it four) dogs have fun.

Mike urges biopharma developers to reflect early on how their medicines might reach more people earlier. He suggests that pharma leaders should not make regulatory approval their singular goal – rather, recognize that a successful approach – smart thinking – can lead to more people being helped by medical miracles. Mike is all about making drug development more productive – for patients.

John Lynn

HITMC Founder – Ambassador for Health Information Marketing

John Lynn is the founder of the Healthcare IT Marketing and PR Conference community better known as HITMC. His energies and focus are centered around enabling wonderful people to connect and plan for a better future and the fragmented health ecosystem is easier for its stakeholders to navigate. John is the founding editor of the blog network HealthcareScene.com, which encompasses five blogs containing almost 11,000 articles that have been viewed more than 18 million times.

He is also co-founder of two companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com and serves as an advisor to multiple healthcare IT companies. John is an ambassador for the growing health information marketing community and in a growing sector of health, expect to see his influence expand. He influences through kindness and concern for others.

Erica (Olenski) Johansen

The Healthcare Futurist and Storyteller of the Patient Journey

Erica is a powerful storyteller, and she has much to share and we must listen. She is part of a new wave of caregiver and patient health influencers whose voices have become more sought so that the health ecosystem – the patchwork and fragmented networks that serve as economic and information gatekeepers – begins to bend to their needs. Erica’s words on “A Vignette of Life as a Pediatric Cancer Mom” or “Where Did My Hair Go,” remind us that we are all vulnerable and rely on each other for support – emotionally and as fellow patient-care advocates.

Her words and her support of the arts as part of therapy help us all image healthcare delivery as more caring and personal. Erica recognizes that people, culture, and technology must find common ground for the sake of our soul and survival. Erica is a must connect and follow – to follow her words and vision for a kinder health system.

Matthew Zachary

CEO and Co-Founder OffScrip Health

Matthew Zachary is a 25+ year cancer survivor and the CEO and Co-Founder of OffScrip Health. He also founded Stupid Cancer and created the first health podcast called The Stupid Cancer Show, which amassed a global listenership with more than four million listens and counting. People Magazine calls him “the people’s voice” in healthcare. As the Founder of the award-winning nonprofit Stupid Cancer, he is recognized as the driving force behind creating the Young Adult Cancer Movement and impacting the lives of millions of people in their teens, 20s, and 30s.

Called “The Howard Stern” and “The People’s Voice” of healthcare, Matthew is now focused on creating the first patient engagement company focused on audio as a transformational medium to improve patient outcomes. His platform hosts wonderful people sharing their ideas with millions of listeners. People like oncologists and cancer survivor Mark Lewis, MD, are part of his growing network of podcast programs that cover rare diseases, health disparities, and more. Matthew’s energy knows no boundaries and his influence is felt through his words, actions, and edgy platforms.

We hope you find this list useful and its members inspiring. More and more, seeing health disparities and the challenges facing health innovators seeking to enter the complex and fragmented health ecosystem, these Influencers seek change and use their voices to advocate for ideas that improve people’s care.

The speed and efficacy with which meaningful policy changes and practices are implemented across the healthcare sphere are influenced to a large degree by voices on this list, our 2021 list, and countless others connected to these people.

Let’s do our part to ensure they are heard. Follow and engage with these outstanding people seeking positive change. Also, follow the people they follow – those people are future candidates for the Medika Top 50 list. Again, with a roster of 50 people, it’s impossible to include everyone we considered – there were hundreds. That is why we urge everyone to visit past lists.

In April, Medika Life plans to release its Top 50 Health Companies List for 2022 featuring fearless innovators who are seeking to advance access to care and accelerate diagnosis and alternative approaches to treatment.

Spot a broken link, typo or name misspelled?

Our apologies! While due care has been taken in compiling this list and adding social media links, sometimes things go wrong or a name is misspelled. Please do get in touch to address typos, amendments, or omissions by reaching gil.bashe@medika.life or robertturner@medika.life. Thanks in advance.

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How Many Pounds You Weigh vs How Fit You Are…

John Whyte MD — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 21:53:59 +0000

Most of us have gained weight during the pandemic. Afterall, we’ve been sitting all day doing zoom calls and eating more chips than ever before! Extra calories consumed and less calories burned is a sure way to gain weight. But does excess weight really matter? Can you be overweight but also be fit? It’s a debate that has been going on for years. New data suggests you unlikely can be both.

There is no shortage of people who carry excess weight but have impeccable blood pressure and cholesterol levels and no known health problems. Consider the example of professional athletes whose livelihoods are dependent on being heavy, such as football linemen or sumo wrestlers.

At first glance, it is easy to notice their rotund shape, but they also possess greater physical endurance and strength than the average person. On the other hand, some maintain a thin figure but eat poorly, seldom exercise, and have a host of health issues. Granted, most of us don’t train like professional athletes but it gets to the heart of the question: What matters more when it comes to health– weight or fitness?

Some studies do suggest that regular physical activity can mitigate some of the negative effects of being overweight, which does lend credibility to the idea of being both. Regardless of your weight, exercising regularly is sure to be a good thing. However, even when controlling for physical activity level, those who are overweight tend to be at higher risk of disease than their normal-weight peers.

Here are three reasons why being overweight does not always harmonize with being fit:

Fat is a hormonally and metabolically active tissue – Fat cells do more than just add inches. They can influence the balance of hormones and energy systems in our bodies. For example, fat cells can increase cortisol levels, which can further contribute to weight gain, and can promote insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes. It can also release substances that contribute to a steady level of chronic inflammation in the body – which increases risk of some cancers.
Excess weight, irrespective of fitness level, can be a risk factor for development of disease. While some people may be overweight but still maintain healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels, it is important to recognize that they are a snapshot of their present health status. The reality is that being chronically overweight carries the risk of developing other health problems in the future, although there is no way to predict exactly when that might occur. Health is about the long-term strategy. Some of these health problems include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Certainly, maintaining a regular physical activity regimen to keep fit may delay the development of these conditions, but losing body fat is another important way to reduce the risk of developing them.
Carrying extra fat can put undue stress on various body structures. Many discussions about fitness focus on cardiovascular health and reducing the risk of some cancers, but being overweight can also worsen back and joint pain. Chronic back and joint pains are significant causes of disability as we get older. Extra fat around the neck can also contribute to the development of obstructive sleep apnea by causing the airway to collapse while sleeping.

The COVID pandemic has taught us important lessons about the importance of self-care. It’s not just about our lifespan, but also our health span. That requires each of us to do our part in striving for a healthier lifestyle, whether that means eating more healthfully, exercising more consistently, or implementing better stress reduction techniques. While it’s possible to achieve good health despite being overweight, reducing excess body fat is yet another way to further optimize health and fitness and reduce the development of chronic disease.

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Four Ways COVID has Changed Health Tech

John Whyte MD — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 00:16:09 +0000

Like most tech lovers, I’m excited about the upcoming CES conference. I won’t be attending in person but will be watching it very closely from a virtual platform. As a physician, I am particularly interested in health tech and how it can improve patient outcomes – both individual patients as well as populations of patients. But my assessment of tech this year will be very different than previous years.

How so?

The COVID pandemic has changed the way we evaluate health technologies in four important and distinct ways.

Practicality replaces glitz. The “Wow factor” is what mattered in the past. “Look how cool this laser is that can identify your heart rhythm from 300 feet away!” “This headset lets me see how food travels through my body in real time!” Technology can still be cool, but now the question is how will I use it? Wearables that measure important variables like blood pressure will get more attention than new imaging tools that simply provide a clearer picture.
Prevention takes precedence over therapeutics. COVID has demonstrated to us the importance of our personal health. For too long, we made our jobs and other commitments our top priority. Going forward, one’s personal health will become a major focus, especially as it relates to prevention. How will a particular technology let me take control of my own health? Nowadays, I am now more interested in a toilet that can monitor my urine for signs of diabetes or my stool for colorectal cancer than a device that creates holograms. Once one gets pass the “icky” factor of some tools, we will evolve to truly personalized preventive medicine.
Rigorous outcomes rule the day. Everything now will be measured by how did it change patient outcomes. Sure, it a device might show a new way to measure blood glucose – but what impact does it have on quality of life, co-morbidities, and life expectancy?
Consumer centricity rather than physician centricity. In the past, technology has been focused on the health system and doctors. It’s been a B-B approach. That won’t go away, but more and more tech innovations will put the health consumer in charge. For instance, I won’t be wearing a device that sends all the information to my doctor, but rather there will be more interpretation of all the data from wearables with direct communication to the patient. This may require changes in regulation by the US Food and Drug Administration with a more practical definition of what constitutes a “medical device.”

The real future of digital health is when tech tools continuously collect health data points and help interpret the information and provide preliminary diagnoses to patients. The doctor isn’t going to be left out of this equation, but the difference will be that the patient will no longer be left out. It’s the patient who will be at the center of how these technologies function from start to finish.

I’m sure I still going to be wow-ed this year and be entertained by the advancements we have made, especially during the last two years. But I’m also going to ask tougher questions on innovation, especially as relates to the purpose and impact.

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The Wearables Expert ™ Interviews Dr. John Whyte

The Wearables Expert — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 03:18:00 +0000

João Bocas – The Wearables Expert ™ Interviews Dr. John Whyte – Chief Medical Officer at WebMD. In this episode, we talked about patient centricity, DIY healthcare and Selfcare with Dr. John WhyteWe also talked about the role of the patient using wearables and digital tools. The role of the consumer/patient in the healthcare of the future and Dr. John Whyte also advised us how to stay safe and healthy going through the pandemic transition.

Connect with Dr. John Whyte
LinkedIn | Twitter

Please check our Global Partners – Spirit Digital Website – Incredible Remote Monitoring and Digital Health Solutions with CliniTouch Vie – Technology enabled care for patients with long-term conditions.

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Dr John Whyte - Medika Life

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Top 30 Wellness Influencers

Esther Ejiroghene Ajari, MBBS

Founder & Executive Director, TriHealthon Development Network in Nigeria

Belgin Aksoy

Creative Director, Richmond International; Founder Global Wellness Day

Federica Alberti

Director, Wellness Foundation, Italy

Amir Alroy

Co-Founder, Welltech Ventures, Israel

Mary Bemis

Founder and Editorial Director, Insider’s Guide to Spas

Robin Berzin, MD

Founder of Parsley Health

Dan Buettner

Founder of Blue Zones

Richard Carmona, MD

Chief Innovations Officer, Canyon Ranch and Former US Surgeon General

Lori Cashman, MBA

General Partner, Victress Capital

Nancy Davis

Chief Creative Officer and Executive Director, Global Wellness Summit

Ken Dychtwald, PhD

Founder and CEO, Age Wave

Susie Ellis, MBA

Chair & CEO, Global Wellness Summit and Global Wellness Institute

Susan Fanning, MBA

Chief Health & Wellbeing Officer at Prudential Life Assurance PublicCompany Ltd. (Thailand)

Catherine Feliciano-Chon

Founder and Managing Director, CatchOn- A FINN Partners Company

Michael Hunter, MD

Radiology Oncologist and Author, Evergreen Medical Center

Barbara Kolm, PhD

Director, Austrian Economics Center (BIO)

John Macomber

Senior Lecturer and Author, Harvard Business School

Ann Mond Johnson, MBA

CEO, American Telemedicine Association

Freddie Moross

Managing Director, myndstream

Dean Ornish, MD

Founder and President, Preventive Medicine Research Institute

Lygeia Ricciardi

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AdaRose

Rebecca Robbins, PhD

Sleep Scientist and Instructor, Harvard Medical School and Associate Scientist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Michael Roizen, MD

Physician and Founding Chair, Wellness Institute, Cleveland Clinic

Katherine Saunders, MD

Executive Vice President, Intellihealth and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine

Louis Schwartzberg

Filmmaker and Documentarian

Suzanne Steinbaum, MD

President and CEO, HeartTech.Health

Rick Stollmeyer

Founder, Mindbody, CEO Inspired Flight Technologies, Podcaster

John Whyte, MD, MPH

Chief Medical Officer, Medscape and WebMD

Chief Health & Wellbeing Officer at Prudential Life Assurance Public
Company Ltd. (Thailand)